Dancing in the Rain
by emily1337
Summary: The hardest thing in life is watching the person you love, love someone else. Especially when that person is Pug Face Parkinson. Astoria Greengrass lost the only person she called family, now all she had was her friends and music. She hated her mother with a passion; Daphne could go straight to hell. The cherry on top...She was in love with the infamous Draco Malfoy!
1. Squeals & Cursing

"You'll never believe what I got from him for my birthday?" Pansy squeaked.  
"What?" the other girls squealed.  
"A ring!" she proclaimed.  
The girls gasped from the room across the hall. I was trying to do my summer homework but couldn't concentrate because I could hear my sister Daphne and her annoying friends giggling, squealing, and chattering about none other than Pansy's boyfriend, Draco Malfoy. How I hated her, with a passion. I hate to admit it, even in my mind, but I have liked…okay I've loved him all my life it seems, for the last four years…since the day I first saw him.

"**Greengrass, Astoria" Professor McGonagall called.  
I eagerly ran up to the stool and waited for the hat to call out my house. I remembered my mother's last words as the sorting hat was placed on my head.  
"You better be in Slytherin" my mother tells me.  
We couldn't have that now can we, a great disappointment indeed.  
"Ah a Greengrass" the sorting hat said in my ear.  
"There's only one place for you-Slytherin!"  
I breathed a sigh of relief and rushed to take a seat next to my sister.  
"I guess mom can't disown you just yet" she tells me, us both sharing a grin.  
"Damn" I say sarcastically. A few of her 3****rd**** year friends laughed and I turned to get a good look at them all and that's when I saw him. Draco Malfoy. His blonde hair and grey blue eyes. Everything about him was perfect. **

"And still is" I whispered quietly. I was taken from my memory by another loud squeal from my sister's bedroom.  
"He's just sooo perfect. I sometimes think I don't deserve Draco" Pansy sighed.

Because you don't.

"Of course you deserve him Pansy" Daphne says.  
"Yeah I guess I do." More squeals.  
"Will you two shut up" I say yelling at them while walking to my sister's room.  
"What do you want Astoria?" Pansy asked.  
"You two are fucking loud, that's what. I can't even hear myself think in my own room" I tell them.  
"Astoria…shut your door then" Daphne says annoyed, "Pansy was telling me about her romantic night with Draco and you just had to come in and ruin it" Daph says.  
"If you both would quit squealing like pigs, I wouldn't need to interrupt. And close your damn door" I tell her angrily.  
"Just because you have no love life, Astoria, doesn't mean you have to come and ruin other people's stories about theirs. You're just mad because it was about Draco" Daphne says.  
"What? What the hell does that have to do with anything?" I ask, keeping my blush in check. The two girls snickered though.  
"Little Tori is jealous" Pansy tells me.  
I raise a brow at her, "You're delusional if you think I would be jealous of you Pansy. And too I could care less about your fucking boyfriend. Keep the damn squealing down to a minimum" I tell them both and walked out of her room, slamming her down behind me.

Yeah Tor, keep telling yourself that!


	2. Pug Face Parkinson

"Daphne! You look beautiful!" Mother says as she rushed into the room; Daphne and I were getting ready. Pansy's 16th birthday party. It was extremely formal and every pureblood high class family was invited. Unfortunately, my family fit under this category. Daphne had on a green ball gown; her blonde hair was down and in large curls over her shoulders and down her back.

"Thanks Mom, you look gorgeous too" Daphne tells her.  
My mother was dressed in a sophisticated black halter with her blonde hair in a sleek up do.  
"Oh Astoria" My mother turns to me.  
This should be good.  
"You look…nice" I rolled my eyes but grinned as our father slipped through the door.  
"My girls look simply ravishing. Daphne you look beautiful as always" he says walking up to her and kissing her on the forehead. He gives me my smile and I smile back.  
"Astoria you look absolutely stunning" he tells me, I wrap my arms around him. I was a daddy's girl if you couldn't tell; Daphne was more under mother's wing. My mother sighed slightly and went back to smiling at Daphne. I couldn't understand why she favored her over me.

Then again I was much like dad, in more ways than one. I played piano, since I was six. A love of mine that was passed down from him. I had long brown hair instead of blonde; and bright green eyes instead of the beautiful blue. I was more outspoken than Daphne when I saw need fit, pureblood etiquette and manners aside. I hated stupid parties and anything that had to deal with growing up as a proper lady under my mother's rules. My father loved me just the way I was, Daphne too; I promised to behave for him and for our family name. Nothing more.

Daphne is the complete opposite.

"Do I have to go Daddy?" I ask, completely soured by the thought.  
"Yes" he tells me gently.  
"Quit complaining about everything Astoria" My mother snaps, "Daphne never complains" she smiles at my sister.  
"I'm not Daphne" I tell her.  
"Obviously" my mother says.  
"Enough, there two different girls Leona, and there both wonderful. Let's not argue" my father tells her, sticking up for me, as usual.

"Stewart, Leona" Mr. Parkinson greeted my parents. "Lovely for you to come."  
"Well Daphne wouldn't miss it for the world" Mother tells him.  
"Ah, Daphne how are you dear?" Mrs. Parkinson asked my sister.  
"Wonderful" Daphne says.  
"And…you are?" Mrs. Parkinson asked me.  
"Astoria" I say bluntly, my mother giving me the look.  
My father wrapped his arm around my shoulder, hugging me softly, "This is our youngest, Violet" my father says smiling at me.  
"Oh how nice" Mrs. Parkinson says before turning to greet the people who had just walked in the door.  
"Narcissa! Lovely as always!" Violet says, "And this must be Draco."  
"Yes Ma'am" I heard him say.  
"Pansy is over there. I'm sure you'll be looking for her."

**Draco? Why does Draco have to be here? Why didn't I think of this before? Of course he would be here. He's always with her. Oh well it's not like he will notice me any way. I've always been overlooked. He's Daphne's friend, not mine. **

"Astoria…Tori!" I hear a few different tones say my name.

I look up to see my best friends walking towards me. Jade West, Kat Benz, and Ashley Bletchley.  
"Oh thank god you guys are here" I tell them as we circled each other.  
We all smiled and complimented each other on our dresses. I was wearing a long white silk evening gown, a heart shaped design that fell to the ground and left a train around me.  
"You look gorgeous" Ashley says grasping one of my arms.  
"Quit lying" I tell her.  
"I'm not lying Astoria" she says snapping at me.  
"You don't give yourself enough credit" Kat says smiling at me.  
"Yeah well you know how my mother is" I tell them.  
"A bitch" Jade says smirking at me. I laugh and nod.  
"Yeah well that's why we're here. To make sure you know how wonderful you truly are" Ashley says gripping my arm tighter.  
I smile and hug her tightly, "You're the best" I say before leaning forward and hugging Kat and Jade, "All of you" I finish.  
"We know" they all say, us all smiling and laughing softly.  
"Look there's Draco" Jade says, pointing to him. He was dancing with Pansy.  
"He's dancing with the pug face freak" I say, sighing slightly.  
"We could turn her into a dog" Jade says smirking evilly at the thought.  
I laugh softly while Kat snorts, "That would be entertaining" she says.  
We all laugh once more.

Pansy looked ridiculous tonight. She was wearing a frilly pink dress. Half of her hair was piled on top of her head and the other half down with a slight wave.  
"What does he see in her?" Ashley says shaking her head.  
"I don't know but I wish I had it, and that is fucking crazy considering" I say throwing my head at the sight before me.  
"That's pretty much saying you'd sell your soul for Draco" Kat says.  
Jade laughs, "Girl, no guy is worth becoming a pug faced Bitch. You are so much better, Draco is just fucking dumb" she tells me.  
Yeah see my influences in life, I smirk at her. I love her.  
"He might be" I say still looking at the two of them dance.  
"What worth it, or fucking dumb, because I'm leaning more towards…." I laugh at her as she leans her body to the side, a grin on her face. "You're ridiculous" I tell her, us all smiling.  
"No worries. You'll get him one day. And I swear you won't have to become Parkinson or a female canine to get him" Ashley tells me. "Whatever" I say rolling my eyes as I smiled, they giggled.  
"Just you wait, Astoria, just you wait" Ash tells me winking at me.  
I just shook my head at her, at all there expressions.


	3. Memories & Dog Treats

FOUR YEARS LATER!

I was sitting on my couch reading a book in the apartment that I shared with Daphne. I graduated from Hogwarts about a month ago and I was working on putting my first collection together for Wichita Records.

A lot has happened in the last four years, which changed my life in many ways. The biggest thing…I lost my father. He died about a year ago, right before my final year at Hogwarts started. I was heartbroken; I had lost my best friend. During the summer, he had helped me with my music, writing and recording everything I wrote. It was in him that I found my inspiration, to follow my dream and finish my collection. I owed him that much; after all he was the one to get me my interview that got me my contract. I thought it would difficult to continue doing music being that it reminded me so much of him. Instead, I fell in love with it even more; I could feel and see him so clearly when I played. I was quiet and reserved my last year at Hogwarts, of course my friends stuck by me all the way. They loved hearing and watching me play; I guess you could say each one played part of being my muse.

My mother took it quit satisfying that I had no one to shelter me, to stick up for me now; after the funeral it was horrible. She held back nothing and rubbed Daphne in my face like she has always done, only more forcefully now. Of course, with my father gone, I spoke freely whenever I saw fit; that just made our war more amusing. I was surprised at how Daphne grew on me; well… when mother wasn't around. She saw how hurt I was with loosing father; I had lost everything the day we buried him, I lost me.

Needless to say I was thankful I only had a month at home before returning back to school, away from Mother. And the day I had returned home after my graduation, my mother kicked me out. She had kept me long enough and was relieved to finally be rid of me. I had one week to find a place to stay before I was locked out.

Yeah I have a really wonderful mother who loves me dearly.

I saw nothing bad about it though. What my mother didn't know was that in my father's will, he left something especially for me. When the lawyer came over and handed out the will; Daphne and I of course present; he asked me to escort him out, my mother giving me that look to be polite. I inwardly rolled my eyes and led him out of the house. That was when the lawyer told me about a large sum of gold that was left directly for me, and was to be kept secret and given in confidentiality. The next day I went into Gringott's and opened up my own account; the large sum of gold was transferred over. I couldn't believe my father did this, and behind my mother's back; then again he knew how much she didn't care for me. I cried that night, sorrow and happy tears; I missed him.

It was down to three days left and Daphne came over and asked me if I had any luck finding a place to stay. I wanted to keep my large sum of gold a secret for now; until my collection took off. I didn't want to hear the arguments from my mother or Daphne; her yelling would be about 'how come he didn't leave me anything!'. I rolled my eyes, Daphne would inherit everything else, why in the hell would she complain about the fortune Daddy left me, it hardly compared to the amount of the Greengrass estate. Still I knew she would.

I could move in with Ashley, and her brother Miles. The two of them live in a huge mansion that they inherited after their parents were shipped off to Azkaban. However, it was a hotel of some sort for a lot of Mile's friends, including Derrick Reynolds; who was the object of Ashley's affection; they were all living there. Ashley couldn't be happier, though; and Kat and Jade stayed often. I personally had no desire to be with a bunch of guys. So, I moved in with Daphne as she begged for an hour straight. She had a steady job at the Ministry in the Department of Magical Transport. I know Daphne and I have never been the best of friends but we were sisters. And I love her, and she loved me. She loved the idea of me playing the piano, despite our mother's comments on the matter now that father was gone.

The only time I couldn't really stand her was when her giggly and stupid friends were over. She was better than mother, anybody was better than mother, so I wasn't going to complain. Currently, Daph was in her room getting ready for some big Ministry gala tonight.

"How does this look?" Daphne asked me after entering the room in dark violet dress robes.  
"It's fine Daph" I tell her, annoyed that she interrupted my book.  
"Get your nose out of the book and look at me" she says.  
I look up, "They're fine. Now leave me alone, I'm reading" I tell her before returning to my book.  
"The house will be presentable for tonight after the gala right? My friends are coming over" she tells me.  
"How could I forget" I say sarcastically, "We've been through this" I say irritated.  
"Okay fine just making sure" She pauses and a smirk appears on her lips. "Draco's coming tonight" she tells me.  
"That's nice Daph" I tell her, pushing the damn flutter my heart made down to the depths of my stomach. It had been years since I last saw him. He came to my father's funeral, with Pug Face, but I didn't see him; I didn't really see anybody that day.

I hadn't really thought about Draco much lately, but at the mention of his name, an old feeling came rushing back to me.  
"I know how you feel about him" she smiles at me.  
"No. You know how I used to feel about him. It's been awhile, Daph" I tell her.  
"Some things never change" she retorts.  
"Go away Daphne" I tell her.  
"Kidding Tor" She smiles and turns to walk back in her room. "Wait, just one more thing" she says.  
"What?" I snap.  
"You sure this looks okay?" she asks me.  
I sigh, "You look perfect as always" I tell her rolling my eyes.  
She grinned and walked back to her room as I returned to my book. Daphne grew to be more beautiful, which didn't surprise me.

I found myself attractive, not ugly; I mean I was a Greengrass after all. My hair was longer and curler, fuller and beautiful. My eyes just as green as the day I was born and I was well toned and pale just like I've always been. I was more laid back, casual than Daphne. It was skirts vs. Jeans with us, or blouses vs. plaid or sweaters for me. Opposites attract was the perfect phrase for us. She was all for expensive, etiquette designs. I loved jeans, t shirts, lounge pants and tank tops. I could pull it off and I loved it. We both gained personality and smarts, were as I carried the attitude and determination. I was defiantly the more "with it" one.

I heard a knock on the door, which brought me out of my thoughts. I walked to the door and looked out the window. There was my sister's boyfriend, Theodore Nott; standing outside. Ah that's right, see I don't really have a boyfriend either, much like Daphne; I don't have time, yeah that's what I tell myself. I opened the door, happy to see him, I've always been fond of Theo. He was a really nice guy. He was kind of quiet and shy but he was sensible. He was intelligent and was one of the few of my sister's friends that I could actually talk to and stand being around.

"Sup" I say with a smile on my face.  
"Tori, good to see you. How are you?" he asked.  
"You know I hate formalities…oh yeah, and I'm good. You?" I ask.  
He laughs, "Pretty good." He looked at me and noticed I was wearing my black lounge pants and my green Ballycastle Bats (my favorite Quidditch team) tank top.  
"You not coming tonight?" he asked me.  
"Sorry I'm all out of dog treats" He laughs, "Plus I don't think I can handle a night out with 'the gang' tonight" I tell him.  
He laughs once again, "Not even for me?" he asks.  
"Sorry Theo. I love you but it's not worth it" I tell him.  
He laughed softly once more, "Is Daphne here?" he asks.  
"Yeah, she's just finishing up. You want me to get her?" I ask.  
"No its okay. I need to talk to you about something" He paused.  
"Spit it out" I say crossing my arms.  
He stifles a small laugh, "Okay. So on Sunday are you doing anything about noon?" He whispered.  
"Why are you whispering?" I whisper back, my eyes narrowed at him.  
"Just answer me" he says.  
"No" I say.  
"Okay. Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron at noon and we'll get some lunch and then I need your help with something" he tells me.  
"With what?" I ask.  
"I don't want Daph to overhear" he tells me.  
I raise a brow, "Okay" I say shrugging.  
"Theo you're here" Daphne says coming out of her room.  
"Daphne, you look stunning" Theo says smiling at this girlfriend.  
"You look great, too" She says flushing slightly.  
Theo was the only person in the world that made Daphne an almost normal person. He brought out her sweet side.

Daph and Theo headed towards the door and Daph says, "We'll be home about 11. Make sure you have the house…."  
I sigh, "I will destroy it if you remind me one more time" I tell her.  
She grins though, "Sorry, okay" she says.  
I sigh once more, "Have fun tonight" I tell them.  
With that they were gone.


	4. Introductions

I was working on my next song when I heard it.

"Oh my God" I heard a loud voice outside the door.I rolled my eyes and snatched up my journal and closed the lid to the piano.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Another voice said.  
I got up and scooted in the kitchen to grab a water before heading up to my room. I heard the door click open.  
"Then I said get your hands off me pervert" Pansy's voice echoed through the living room.  
"And Draco! You just let him put his hands all over me!" she cried.  
"It didn't look like he was doing anything really" I hear Draco say, I swallowed the lump in my throat.  
"Not like you actually were bothered by it. You're probably more than happy to have a guy all over you."  
A loud chorus of laughter was heard.  
"But Draco! I'm your girl. You should care if a guy is all over me" Pansy shrieked.  
"He was drunk" Draco say shortly.  
"Do you even care about me Draco?" she asks.  
"Shut it Pansy, your drunk too" he says as the rest of the group snickered.  
I then heard footsteps coming toward the kitchen. Great.

I turn and grab a water out of the fridge.  
"God, she's annoying sometimes" I hear the voice that the footsteps belonged to enter the kitchen.  
"I'm sorry did you say something" I say turning and closing the refrigerator door. He looked perfect as usual, his blonde hair falling in his face. "Oh sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here" He looked at me slightly startled and confused.  
"Oh, I'll be out of here in just a minute. Just getting a water" I say waving the bottle at him.  
I breathe in slightly, "And now that I have one, I'll be getting out of your way" I say running my hand through my hair.  
"Wait" He grabbed my hand as I walked past him, "Who are you?" he asked.  
I raise a brow at him, "Ah, right. I'm Astoria" I tell him.  
"Right. Daphne's sister; I knew that" he says, "I'm Draco Malfoy" he introduces himself.

I let out a soft laugh, "I know" I tell him.  
He gave me an odd look.  
"Platinum blonde hair kinda gives you away as a Malfoy. Plus Pansy is over here a lot, she has a big mouth; she doesn't know how to shut up about you" I say giving him a small smile.  
His brow raises and he nods, "Ha, right. Typical Pansy" he tells me.  
"Hmm" I say smiling a bit at him, "Well I'm gonna go. If I see Pansy or Bullstrode, I'm doomed to have nightmares" I tell him, not caring that pug face was his girlfriend.  
He laughed though.  
"Well, it was nice to meet you Astoria" he tells me.  
I smiled and nod slightly, "Dido." I walked out of the kitchen and snuck upstairs to my bedroom.

Well that was interesting.


	5. Bletchley Hotel

On a rainy Saturday morning I stood outside Ashley's mansion.

I pounded on the door, "Open the fucking door you moron's" I yell.  
I'm getting soaked, yet I really don't mind. Finally the door opened and a smiling, dark haired, blue eyed, tall man of about 21 greeted me. "Astoria, you're soaked!" he tells me.  
I roll my eyes, "Great observation there Miles" I tell him.  
"Is Ash home?" I ask.  
"Yeah, she's still asleep, though" he says as I walked into their entrance hall.  
"Alright, I'll go wake her up" I say smiling slightly at the thought. I was wet and she would probably try to kill me.  
"You sure you wanna do that?" he asks me. I know how Ash is when she's woken up, but….aw damn.  
"No" I say sounding slightly disappointed.  
"I didn't think so" he says looking at me, "Why haven't you dried yourself off" he asks me.  
"Because I left my wand at home, otherwise I would go wake her up" I tell him.  
He laughs, "Good job Tor" he tells me. He reached in his pocket and pulled his own wand out and flicked it at me; I was immediately dry. "Thanks" I tell him, pushing my hair back behind my ears.  
"No problem" he smiles and asks, "Why didn't you just apparate inside our house?" he asks.  
"It's rude" I tell him simply.  
"Well just to let you know, you are more than welcome to apparate inside our house whenever you feel like it" he says now walking towards the dining room.  
"Had breakfast yet?" he asks.  
"Nope" I say.  
"Good, Lollie's cooking up something" he says and I follow him.

In the dining room there was a long table that four men were already sitting at. I knew three of them as Miles friends. Derrick Reynolds, Adrian Pucey, and Carl Warrington, and one of them was a friend of my sisters who I hadn't seen in a while, Blaise Zabini.

"Astoria!" Blaise looked me up and down, "My, my! You have grown up since the last time I saw you" he tells me.  
I raise a brow at him, "Charming as ever Blaise" I say taking a seat next to him while Miles sits across from me.  
"How's Daphne?" Blaise asked.  
"Just fabulous" I say sarcastically, grinning at his grin.  
"Why are you here?" Carl asked stupidly.  
"Oh Carl, I don't think I can digest such idiotic questions this early in the morning" I tell him, taking a drink of some orange juice.  
"Ouch, that hurt love. Don't bite my head off…what's your problem today" he asks me.  
"She's always like this Carl" Adrian laughed.  
"Really, this is actually a good mood for Astoria" Derrick says.  
"She's usually about as sweet as a blast ended skrewt" he finishes.  
I smiled at him, "Love you to Derrick" I tell him.  
He laughs.  
"Guys that's enough" Miles says sending me an apologetic look.  
"We're just messing with her" Derrick says.  
"Yeah, it's fun to piss her off" Carl says.  
"I agree" I say twirling my fork around with my fingers.  
"Plus she's kind of hot when she's mad" Blaise laughed and I threw my fork at him.  
"Feisty little thing" Adrian says.  
I picked up my knife, "I won't miss this time" I say smirking at him, my brow raised.  
"Okay. Sorry don't hurt me" He coward's away

Ha!

About halfway through breakfast, Ashley finally came down.  
"Astoria!" she ran over to me. "I didn't know you were here!" she says sitting down next to me.  
"Be thankful I forgot my wand" I tell her, she rolls her eyes.  
"Thanks" she says, I grin.  
"I haven't seen you in forever" she says leaning on me, taking a bit of toast.  
I lean on her too, "You haven't" I tell her.  
"I have to go to Madam Malkin's. I think I got a job there" she tells me.  
Miles snorted. "What would our parents say if they knew you were working in a robes shop?" he asked.  
"Doesn't really matter what they'd say since they're locked up in Azkaban right now" she retorted.  
I laughed slightly and Miles gave me a sharp look.  
"Oh that would work on anybody but me" I tell him. He rolls his eyes.  
"It's not that big of a deal. I mean I'd rather my parents not be locked up, but I wouldn't be in charge of this huge house right now. And it's not like they were wonderful parents or anything" Miles states.  
"That's true" Ash says, "And we would not be enjoying the company of your lovely friends."  
She flashes a smile at Derrick who returned it.

Vomit!

Miles looked at his watch and quickly stood up.  
"I'm late for practice. Better go. I'll see you guys later" He gave me a smile and with a pop he was gone.  
Miles was currently the reserve keeper for the Falmouth Falcons. He was always trying to get me to go to his games. I however was a firm Ballycastle Bats fan and couldn't be swayed to root for another team.  
"I gotta get going too" Ash tells me.  
"Alright, I have a new song I want you to hear" I tell her.  
"Yay" she says hugging me.  
"Song?" Blaise asks, his eyes narrowed.  
We both waved our hands at him.  
"Hang out later?" I ask her.  
"Can't, plans" she whispered smiling at Derrick.  
"Right" I rolled my eyes.  
"Tomorrow?" she asked me.  
"Plans with Theo" I tell her.  
"Nott?" she asked, her forehead creased.  
"Yeah" I say.  
"Okay well then we'll work something out, I'll get the girls over too that way we can get up in the studio and listen" she tells me.

My sister thought I was recording at Wichita Records, but I wasn't. I enjoy my own personal space, so Ash let me build my own little studio here. I am four tracks away from finishing my collection; the more I thought about it, the more excited I became.  
"Write me about it" I tell her.  
"Sounds good" she says giving me a hug and then with a pop, she too was gone.  
That left me with Blaise, Adrian, Derrick, and Carl.  
"Bye" I say before getting up and heading for the front door, I heard snickers behind me.


	6. I hate ham

"Where are you going?" Daphne asks me as I head towards the door.  
"Out" I say simply.  
"Why?" she asks.  
"I feel like it" I snap slightly.  
"Fine, be that way" Daphne rolls her eyes and I walk out the door.

It was a beautiful day outside and I couldn't resist the fresh air. So, instead of apparating, I walked the few blocks from the apartment to the Leaky Cauldron where I was meeting Theo. As I walked down the twisted road to Diagon Alley, I heard a voice calling me.

"Astoria!" I turned around.  
"Hey Miles" I say walking towards him.  
"Where are you going?" he asked.  
"Leaky Cauldron, I'm meeting Theo" I say and we started walking towards the pub.  
"Nott?" he asked.  
"Yup, he needed to see me about something" I tell him.  
"I see. He didn't tell you what?" he asked.  
I shook my head, "Nope. I'm assuming it has something to do with Daphne" I say.  
"They still together" Miles asked.  
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure they will end up married and all that mushy stuff" I tell him, he laughs.  
"That's nice" he tells me. "Extremely" I agree, he laughs once more.  
"I like Theo" I say.  
"Yeah he's a good guy" Miles agrees.  
"One of few" I say grinning at him.  
He rolls his eyes but smiles, "You know what?" he asked me excitedly.  
"What?" I looked confused.  
"What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked.  
"Uh, nothing that I know off, why?" I ask.  
"Great, I'm playing tomorrow. I'll be starting keeper" he tells me grinning.  
"Awesome" I say smiling at him.  
"Yeah. I got tickets for friends, you wanna come?" he asked me.  
"Hell yeah, you're playing the bats tomorrow right?" I ask as we came to the door of the Leaky Cauldron.  
"Yeah" he says.  
I smile big now, "Then I will defiantly be there" I tell him.

I love the Ballycastle Bats!

"I'll mail you the tickets okay?" he tells me.  
"Sounds good" I say nodding at him. I opened the door to the pub.  
"Alright, great. I will see you there, I'll let you get to your lunch" he says smiling at me.  
"K, I'll see you tomorrow" I tell him.  
"Bye" he says and turns and walks away. I entered the pub and looked around for Theo. I saw him sitting at a back table waiting for me.  
"Hey Theo" I say as I took a seat across from him.  
"Who were you talking to" he asked me.  
"Miles Bletchley" I tell him.  
"We're you doing something with him?" he asked.  
"Nah I just ran into him on the way here" I tell him.  
"Oh" he says plainly.  
I picked up the menu and tried to decide what to order.

Turkey or Ham? …I hate ham...

"So what are we doing today?" I ask looking up from the menu.  
"I need your help" he tells me.  
"Could I have more details" I ask, my brow rose.  
He grins, "Picking out Daphne's engagement ring."  
I had taken a drink of water and I almost choked.  
"With what?" I snap at him.  
"I'm going to ask Daphne to marry me" He was grinning from ear to ear when he said this.  
"That's great" I say genuinely happy.

I mean I wasn't happy for Daphne, I was never happy for her. I never thought she deserved not to be miserable. Yes, yes I'm just kidding, sort of. I want happiness for Daphne, even if she reminds of mother….Blah I'm not even going to go there. I loved Theo and wanted him to be happy. And for whatever reason, he found that with Daphne. I couldn't help but love the idea of having Theo a part of my family.

He looked relieved. "I'm glad you're okay with this."  
I raise a brow, "Why wouldn't I be?"  
He sighs, "I don't know. I mean I know your relationship with Daphne. I thought maybe you wouldn't want her to be married" he tells me. "Maybe if it wasn't you and she was marrying Goyle or something" I tell him.

That would be Gross.

Theo laughed, "I can't imagine that happening" he tells me.  
I laugh, "Me neither. Of course I guess I could imagine Daphne sinking that low. I never thought she had much taste until you. And I've yet to understand how she managed to get you…but I try my best to be happy for her. Most of what I hate about her is what mother has pushed into her brain…and I hate mother, you clearly no this" I tell him.  
"I'm sure you find it hard to believe but I really do love Daphne. I think she's a wonderful person and I want to spend the rest of my life with her" he tells me.  
"Yeah Yeah save the gooey mushy stuff for the reception shall we" He laughs, "That's all sweet and nectar bud, I'm glad she found you" I tell him.  
"Me too" he smiles back.  
"You know, it's gonna be kinda weird" I tell him, thinking out loud slightly.  
"What?" he looked confused.  
"You'll be the first person in my family, besides my father, that I actually like…you know without having to try" I admit, laughing slightly.  
He laughed, "Well I'm glad you're happy about this, Tor. You'll help me?" he asks.  
"Hell yeah" I say, watching him laugh once more.  
"I mean if you're sure, fashion and jewelry is defiantly not my category; especially when it comes to Daphne's taste" I tell him.  
"You're not that bad, I'd rather have your help than Pansy's or Millicent's" he tells me.  
"You're looking for feminine Theo, not canine" I remind him.  
He laughs loudly.  
"Can you imagine me trying to spend an entire day with either of them" Theo asks.

Miserable!

"I would kill you, or possibly die too from laughing so hard" I tell him.  
"You're so nice" he says sarcastically.  
"Yeah I know" I smile at him.

Theo= best brother in law ever!


	7. Boyfriend Stealer

After a long day of trying to pick out the perfect ring for Daphne, I walked back to the apartment.

"Where have you been all day?" she demanded as she stood in the living room.  
"None of your business" I snapped at her, starting to walk towards my room.  
"I know where you were" she tells me.  
"Really, do tell me then?" I ask.  
"Out with Theo" she snaps at me.  
"Theo is my boyfriend, Astoria. Not yours" she tells me.  
"Clearly, I'm not interested in Theo. What are you going on about?" I ask.  
Daphne as usual would overreact about something she didn't understand.  
"You! You and Theo! Pansy saw you two together. She said you were laughing and flirting and having a grand old time at lunch today" she yelled at me. Oh come on Daphne, really?  
"Pansy is a pug faced bitch who wouldn't no flirting and a grand old time if it slapped her right in the face Daph.  
Don't be so daft!" I yell back at her.  
"I don't believe you. You've always wanted what was mine" she tells me.  
"Oh please! Stop acting like Mother, it's actually an insult all on you. What you need to do is calm down" I tell her.  
"I want you out of my apartment by tomorrow. I won't have you here ruining things" she says and I gawk at her.  
"You can't be serious" I say crossing my arms at her.  
"It's my apartment, Astoria. I can kick you out if I want. I want you gone by tomorrow morning. Do you understand?" she says. I just laughed at her and rolled my eyes.  
"You really are clueless. No wait, you're just an idiot. I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend, I don't want Theo. Were just friends, that's it! Nothing more. I see him as a brother for crying out loud" I tell her.  
"You will be out by tomorrow morning" she says and walked off.

Oh how I love my life.

I packed all my stuff and sent my bags to my studio. I sent the piano in the living room too. It was fathers, but it was given to me; I was taking it whether she liked it or not. I didn't wait until morning, I left then without saying goodbye.


	8. Home Sweet Home

It was raining again. I stood outside the Bletchley mansion, it was 10 at night; they better be home. I could just apparate inside, but I hated that. I banged on the door again, screaming through the thunder would be pointless which was disappointing.

I heard a faint voice, "Hold on. I'm coming."  
The door opened finally.  
"Your soaked" The drawling voice of Draco Malfoy reached my ears and I looked up to see him in all his perfection standing in the doorway. "Glad to know your eyes work, can I come in?" I ask.  
"Oh yeah?" he says stepping aside.  
"Tori" Kat says which surprised me.  
"Kat!" I say, laughing as she hugged me and laughed.  
"You're wet" she says.  
"You people are so observant" I say.  
"What brought you over?" she asked me.  
"Daphne kicked me out" I say simply.  
"Why?" Draco asked.  
"Long story" I say simply.  
"Right. It's Astoria right?" he asked narrowing his eyes at me; I nodded.

Ha! He remembered my name!

Draco took out his wand and flicked it towards me, I was instantly dry.  
"Thanks" I say, glancing at my clothes.  
"Not a problem" He smiled back and my breathe caught.  
"So why are you answering the Bletchley's door?" I ask pointing to the door.  
He gave a small chuckle, "Well Ashley and Derrick are kind of busy" he tells me.  
"Gross" Kat says rolling her eyes.  
I take my wand out of my jacket and twirl it with my fingers, raising a brow at Kat.  
She gawked and laughed, "None of that Tori" she says hugging me.  
I roll my eyes but grin, "Spoil my fun" I say dropping it to my side.  
Draco still had a grin on his face, "Miles is in the shower. He just got home from practice. I just happened to be up and in the kitchen. The rest of us are playing exploding snap. I said I'd get the door" he tells me.  
"And I heard your voice and I had to come say Hi" Kat says smiling at me.  
I hug her once more, us both smiling. "Is Jade here?" I ask her.  
She shakes her head, "No, she'll be here tomorrow though" she tells me.  
"Sweet" I say now looking back at Draco.  
"Don't tell me you've moved in too?" I ask.  
He chuckles, "No, I just come by every once in a while. It's a nice place to get away from my family and all that stuff."  
I laugh softly, "I defiantly agree with you on that, it's the Bletchley hotel now."  
They both laughed now.  
"Yeah basically" Draco says.

Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs and Miles came into view.  
"Astoria! What are you doing here?" He asked, surprised.  
"Gee Miles, I'm just so happy to see you too" I tell him sarcastically, everyone laughs.  
"Ha Ha I'm merely curious" he tells me.  
I breathe in hard and let out the same, "Sunday school version. Daphne kicked me out because she thinks I'm stealing Theo away from her, and" I say now looking at Draco, "Totally no offense to you" and then I look back at Miles, "Pug faced Pansy decided to ruin more lives and tell her about my outing with Theo and told her that we were flirting and having a O so wonderful time when really I was helping him pick out her engagement ring. And because it's a surprise I couldn't tell her; so I called her an idiot and a few other things I won't repeat and now I'm here" I tell them.  
"Wow" Kat says, still on my arm.  
"Wow indeed" Miles says.  
"Sorry about Pansy" Draco tells me, looking slightly disappointed in his canine pet

I smirked at the thought.

"No worries, I wouldn't expect anything less; I would be dead of shock if that was the case. And yes Wow…that doesn't even cover it. It will be worth it though, later…when she finally realizes she's been a complete ass. Do you have any idea the groveling apology I am going to make her give me, priceless" I say looking at Miles. They all laughed once more. I laughed once more, "So until I build my own mansion, can I borrow one of your spare rooms? That is if you have any left" I ask him winking.  
He chuckled, as did Draco.  
"We have a few rooms open" he tells me.  
I followed him upstairs, Kat on my arm still.  
"The one across from Ashley's has its own bathroom. And it's not far from your studio. You want that one?" he asked me.  
"Yeah that's fine. My bags and other piano are in the studio. I apparated them over" I tell him.

He laughs, "I'll have our house elf get everything situated in your room. I can put the piano in there too if you like." I smile and nod, "That would be great, thanks."  
I heard Kat sigh, "Poor Theo" she says.  
I laugh, "Poor Theo really?" I ask her.  
"Well you get to come here and live which is going to be awesome. I can come see you all the time now! Theo will be heartbroken if Daph dumps him" she tells me.  
"She won't dump him. She probably thinks I was seducing him or something. She's a fucking idiot, a complete imbecile. He'll explain everything and then he'll ask her to marry him and everything will be fine" I tell her.

We went into my new bedroom. The piano was already in here, it set well with the white and silver colors.  
A huge canopy bed sat in the center of it.  
"It was nice of you to keep quiet for Theo" Miles tells me.  
"Yeah I guess" I say, sighing softly.  
"So is the room okay?" Miles asked me.  
"It's perfect Miles, thanks" I tell him.  
He smiled at me, "No problem at all. Your bags have been unpacked. You coming down?" he asked me.  
"No, I think I'll take a shower and head to bed" I tell them both.  
"Okay, your still coming to the game tomorrow right" he asked me.  
"Defiantly" I tell him.  
"Good" he says turning and heading to the door.  
I gave Kat a hug, she was heading to her room to go to bed as well.  
"Night Miles, thanks again. Night Kat" I say, waving at them both.  
"Night Tor" they both say grinning at me.  
Kat closed the door behind her.


	9. Throwing Silveware

I woke up early on Sunday morning; I wondered whether or not anyone was awake yet. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was 10:30. I fixed my hair, magically drying it so my curls feel beautifully just like always. I put on some jeans and then pulled on a black tank top, along with my dark green cashmere sweater. I pulled on my black boots and then headed downstairs to get something to eat. I was about halfway through the dining room door when something hard ran into me and threw its arms around me. Then another set of arms did the exact same thing.

I gasped, "Geez" I say.  
"Tori" Kat says…  
"Astoria! I heard what happened!" Ashley shouted at me.  
"Why are you shouting?" I say loudly in her ear; she grinned.  
"Sorry, I can't believe that bitch kicked you out" Ash says now looking pissed.  
I smirk, "Now that's better. It's okay. All is fair in love and war right? Now you can help me build my mansion" I tell her.  
She was hopping and clapping in excitement, "Yay about time."  
I just grinned and shook my head.  
"Or you could just live with me. It gets lonely being the only girl" she tells me.

I raise a brow at her, "If you want me to believe that, sure. Especially with Derrick here" I tell her rolling my eyes.  
Kat laughed and Ash playfully hit me. "Tori!" she whined.  
I laughed as I followed her over to the table and took a seat in the middle of the two; Draco sat right across from me.

Draco gave me a small smile as Miles took a seat next to him.  
"Good morning beautiful" he tells me. I was taken back slightly.  
I shot him a confused look, "You've clearly been hit in the face too many times, It's affecting your vision" I tell him.  
Snickers filled the room.  
"Ha Ha very funny, No I was talking to you" he tells me.  
"No I don't believe so" I tell him, eating a grape.  
He laughed, "No your right, I was talking to Carl" He nods at him.  
I raise a brow and smirk, "I'm so glad you've embraced your sexuality. I just knew you both swung that way?" I say smiling at him.  
More laughs filled the table.  
Miles rolled his eyes, "I was talking to you" he tells me once more.  
"I don't like to be classified in categories" I tell him eating a grape, a smile on my lips.  
Adrian nodded, "I agree, you're a category all your own Feisty."  
I picked up my knife and threw it at him. He moved his head just in time and it hit the wall dead on.  
I grinned, Kat laughed.  
"Why did you move your head?" Ash says shaking hers, I smile.  
"What is it with you and throwing silverware?" Carl asked me.  
"If you two weren't utter douche bags, I wouldn't feel the need to stab you in the face….just saying" I shrug, eating another grape.  
The girls laughed, Draco too.  
"Right, like you have any room to laugh Draco" Miles says, "While Pansy Parkinson is your girlfriend."

"Shut it Bletchley" Draco tells him.  
"He's sensitive about his girlfriend" Miles whispered across the table, an attempt anyways.  
I laugh slightly and look at Draco, "I could say a million things about….her, but I won't for your sake. So I'm keeping my mouth shut for once." Kat and Ash laughed, Miles rolled his eyes.  
"Since when do you ever keep your mouth shut Tor" Adrian says while getting up from his chair and walking around the table, close to the wall.

I grab Kat's knife and quickly throw it at him. I caught his shirt right by his neck and tagged him to the wall.

"Tori!" he yelled at me.  
I just grinned while the rest of us laugh, "Next time I'll aim a little more to the right" I tell him.  
He pulls the knife out of his shirt and walks back over to his chair, gawking at me and sits down hard.  
"You ruined my shirt" he tells me tossing the knife back on the table.  
"Oh suck it up, you're a wizard, fix the damn shirt" Ashley tells him.  
I was just grinning.  
"Where the hell did you learn how to throw silverware like that?" Carl asks me.  
I shrug slightly, "I can throw anything sharp thank you; you better be glad I don't see any scissors. I couldn't really stab my mother in the face for real growing up, so I settled with making her portrait's dartboards. I can hit every main artery, pick one" I tell him.  
"Now that's awesome" Carl says smirking at me.  
"And slightly scary" Adrian says. I just grin.  
"You're just scared because you know she could have killed you back there" Ashley says grinning.  
"Never get on my bad side" I say grinning at him, twirling another butter knife in my fingers.  
He looked slightly scarred which made everyone laugh.  
"So…When are you two going to tie the knot Draco?" Derrick asked, still slightly laughing.  
"I don't know, eventually I guess. I wish people would quit bugging me about that" Draco says and I felt like I swallowed my heart.

So he really was planning on marrying Pug Face…

"Where's Blaise? He was here the other day" I ask looking over at Ash.  
Chuckles came around the table, Adrian answered, "Well, he went out with some girl last night and he hasn't come back yet"  
The rest of the guys smirked.  
I roll my eyes.  
"Who'd he go out with last night?" Ash asked.  
"Which one's Saturday?" Miles asked.  
"Margo?" "No, I think its Bianca." "Or is it Ella?" Miles just shrugged, "One of them I guess."  
I raise a brow, "Wow…that's disgusting" I say.  
Kat nodded, "Defiantly."  
"Leave it to Blaise to have lots of girlfriends" Ash says.  
"If you want to call them that. Let's just say he has a woman for every night of the week" Draco says laughing slightly.  
"The original playboy" I add, eating my last grape.  
A few more snickers filled the table.  
"Yeah Blaise gets around all right" Adrian says.  
Just then Miles looked down at his watch. "Whoa, I better get going. Practice starts in ten minutes. I'll see you guys after the game. You're all coming right?" he asks us.  
"Yes" we all say and with that he was gone.

Breakfast continued uneventful except for my amusement of throwing my fork at Carl one more time.


	10. Music 2 my Ears

**( NOTE: This is the first chapter that I put in Astoria on the Piano. I play myself and I love Instrumentals. All the music & melodies I'm describing are inspired by Carter Burwell, Danny Elfman, & Kiko. Everything from Twilight Soundtracks to Tim Burton Classics. )**

"Tori" I hear from about three different tones, which I knew to be Ashley, Jade, and Kat.  
"You ready?" they yelled once more.  
"Patience is a virtue" I tell them.  
My hair was down and in curls as always and I changed my sweater to my Bat's t-shirt, and then threw on my coat, which sported there colors as well. Ha! I walked out of my room and saw the girls, along with Derrick waiting for me.  
"Aw Miles will be disappointed you're rooting for the Bats, its bad enough Kat here is dressed in their colors" Ash tells me.  
"Bat's fan here, my entire life thank you very much. My loyalties do not change simply because your brother plays for the Falcons" I tell her, Kat smiling bigger.  
She grins, "Right, I forget how die hard you are" Ash says winking at me, taking my arm in hers.  
We walked downstairs to see a room full of guys dressed in robes of dark grey, they were supporting the Falcons. I noticed Blaise had finally showed up. I let go of Ash's arm while grinning, and hopped the last three steps, Jade doing the same, we laughed slightly.  
"Oh I love looking at a room full of losers…No offense to your brother Ash" I tell her, she laughs.  
"Hey Tor" Blaise says.  
"Hello there playboy" I say raising a brow.  
He smirks but then it turned more disgusted looking, "A bats fan…really" he asked.  
I smile and laugh at him, "Shut up, just wait. The bats will win."  
"We can wager if you like" Kat says grasping my arm.  
I grin and look back at Blaise. "You're on, twenty galleons says the Falcon's whoop there ass!" he tells me smirking widely.  
I raise a brow at him before smiling, "And I'll bet your twenty galleons and raise it fifty, betting a total of 70 that the bats win."  
Blaise laughs now, "Oh your so on" he tells me.  
"This should be interesting" Derrick says grinning at me.  
"This…is going to be a piece of cake. Prepare to lose Loser!" I tell him, Kat and Jade snickering beside me.  
"Whatever you say princess" he tells me.  
I roll my eyes but smile slightly.

"Okay Okay we need to get going. Miles will be mad if we're late. Are we ready?" Ash asked all of us. We all nod, "Yes" we all say.  
"Let's get going then" Derrick says.  
We all apparated simultaneously to Falcon Stadium.

"Ow! You apparated on my foot, Tor" Adrian yelled at me.  
"That's because there Too big Pucey" I tell him, smiling at him.  
He grins and rolls his eyes, "Yeah whatever."  
"Come on, our seats are in the top box" Jade says looking at her ticket.  
"Sweet" I say, my arms being grasped by Kat and Jade.  
We found our seats and the game started. Kat & I cheered, Jade a little when they announced the Bats; we received glares from the fans around me; I just smirked at them or glared back. However I did cheer for Miles, just a little bit, when he was announced. It was hard not to cheer for him; I've known him since I was eleven.

As he flew out he looked over to our section and our eyes locked, he smiled. The game was very close and very exciting; Blaise and I took the laughs and snickers from everyone as we argued who was going to win. He was on the edge the entire time. Miles did a fantastic job and the Bats only scored 6 goals against him. However, to my pleasure and true knowledge, the Bats seeker caught the snitch when the score was 60-90 and secured the win for my team at 210-90.

I turned and looked at Blaise's deep sneer across his face; he turned and glared at me. I laughed and smiled at him before petting him on the face slightly with a few taps, "I win" I say, everyone else smirking and shaking their heads at us. Kat and I high five and hugged, shouting as the teams left the field.

"Come on we can go visit Miles" Ash says. We walked down to the locker room and Ash told the security guard who we were and we were allowed entrance in. It took us a few minutes to find him.  
"Good Job, Miles" Ash tells him.  
"It doesn't matter since we lost" he says and then looked at me & Kat.  
"Why are you two wearing Bat's stuff for?" He sounded a bit hurt.  
"There my team Miles" I tell him.  
"Mine too" Kat says smiling.  
"Whatever" he says.  
I pout slightly and hug him, "Oh none of that. You played great; Fletcher is an awesome seeker on the Bats. You were the best keeper if it means anything."

He just rolls his eyes but I could see a slight smile on his lips.  
One of Miles teammates came over to him.  
"Nice play today, Bletchley" he tells him.  
"Thanks Roberts" he says to the tall, thin, blonde man.  
"Sorry I couldn't get us that win" he says, "That Bat's seeker is pretty good."  
I snicker and shrug Miles, "See." This time he does grin but he shook his head at me.  
"You fought hard, that's all we ask" Miles tells him.  
"You going to introduce me to your fans?" Roberts asked.  
"This is my sister Ashley" Miles says pointing to his sister, she smiled.  
"And some random people that are living at my house: Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, Astoria Greengrass, Kat Benz, Jade West" he says pointing to all of us, "You know the other guys" he says motioning to Carl, Adrian, and Derrick.  
"I'm David Roberts. Nice to meet you" he says then looking at Kat and I, "Except you two: the Bat's fan" he says.  
I pout, "I'll pretend I'm hurt by that."  
David laughs, "Just kidding, I can respect fans of other teams. You're Astoria?" he asks.  
"One and only" I tell him.  
He gave another amused look, "Not what I was expecting" he says.  
I narrow my eyes at him and Miles glares at him.  
"Never mind" he says and turns to Miles, "See ya tomorrow."  
"Well we better be going. Bye Miles" Ash says. "Thanks for coming guys" he tells us.

"Thank you Blaise" I say smiling at him as he dropped the bag of galleons in my hand.  
"Yeah Yeah I'm never betting against you again" he tells me.  
I grin, "Sore loser" I tell him before turning.  
I apparated the bag up to my room before sitting on the couch, in between Kat and Jade. Ashley and Derrick left to do shopping. Miles and Adrian were setting up to play a match of Wizard's Chess. Blaise, Draco, and Carl all sat around them to watch.  
"I know Ash will kick our butt's but I want to hear your new song…now. And the piano is right there" Jade says getting up.  
"We can…." was all I got out before I was pulled off the couch.  
"Or we can do it now" I finish, sighing slightly.  
I was changed into some dark blue lounge pants and a long sleeved white shirt. My hair was back in a low ponytail and half of it pulled over my shoulder in its curls, my bangs falling down the side of my face. I pushed them behind my ear as I sat down. Jade sat beside me and Kat leaned in on the frame, her head in her palm.  
"You gonna play? Ashley will be mad" Miles says.  
I turn and look at him, he was grinning.  
"I'm being forced" I tell him.  
"Yes she's being forced, now play your new song" Jade says hitting the top of it a few times. I laughed, Kat did too.  
"Wait, your song? You write?" Draco asks me which I swallow hard.  
The knot in my stomach rose now; oh boy he has never heard me play.

I'm gonna be sick!

"Yeah" I say nodding at him slightly.  
"And she's amazing! She's putting together her first collection which should be done and out in the next few months" Jade says smiling at me.  
I grin, "Yeah hopefully. I have a producer through Wichita Records; I've been working on my compositions since the beginning of my 7th year at Hogwarts. So far I've written thirteen, I need seventeen to complete the full portfolio. So this little number…"  
"Will be fourteen! Is it slow or fast, because I personally love your slow ones. And the one's with the violin's in them" Kat asks me.  
"Violin…who plays violin" Blaise asks, his brow rose.  
Miles and Adrian were already going at it with the game of chess.  
I smile at him, "I do. I play piano but I also know Astral Melodies through the violin, guitar, flute, drums, and harp. It's like playing an instrument in your mind."  
All the guys looked surprised; Miles had heard a few of my songs but he thought that someone else had played the other instruments, not me.

"That sounds difficult" Draco tells me and I look over at him.  
I smile softly at him, "Yeah you would think but not really. It took me over two years to learn how to do it. My father was a great teacher."  
His face melted to sincerity and he nodded at me, you could see the gratitude in his eyes as he smiled at me. I smiled back and then looked down at the keys in front of me. I breathe in heavy and glance at Jade and Kat, which were on my left.  
"It's soft, with astral…uh violin, harp, drums, and flutes" I say looking at Kat.  
"Yay my Fav" she says.  
I smile at her.  
I laugh softly, "Actually I think I need to warm up first" I say rubbing my hands and fingers slightly, glancing the line of keys.  
"Play Trees" Jade says quickly, and I laugh; it was her favorite. "Remember this one" I tell them.

I played the keys softly, focusing on the violin in the background. As the music grew louder, the room seemed smaller; as if I was in a box, it roared. As the piano grew softly, it seemed peaceful and relaxing, the violins still going in the background. The ending was loud and strong as I cut everything off.  
"5th year, the acoustics in the tower was awesome!" Kat says smiling big.  
I grin at her and continue playing another small piece.

The song starts off with nothing but violins, growing louder and more forceful. I eventually started playing the piano again, and again, the room seemed perfectly still. I loved this one, it was longer than the last one, the violins were much louder and stronger; it made it sound…beautiful. This was Ashley's lullaby I wrote for her; she loves the violin which is why there is more of it than piano. I finished it off after a few minutes.

"Ashley's lullaby" Jade, Kat, and Miles say in unison.

I grin at them all, catching my first glimpse at the other guys. Blaise looked slightly…mesmerized if that was the word to use, Draco looked relaxed; lost in thought, his eyes on me and the piano. I didn't linger long though and turned my eyes back to the piano. As I was about to place my fingers back on the keys, the door opened in the parlor; you could hear Ashley and Derrick talking.  
She gawked at me as soon as she entered the room, "Are you playing? And I'm not here!" she says crossing her arms.  
"She made me" I say pointing to Jade.  
She just smirks, "That's right I did. But she hasn't played the new song yet so don't worry... you didn't miss anything. She just played your lullaby" Jade reassures her.  
Ash smiles at that, "I love that, I still play it at night when I sleep."  
"We know" Us girls and Miles say, Derrick also.  
Ash smiles and rolls her eyes, "Shut it, I love it."  
With that she sits on the bench with me on my right.  
"Okay now play your new song! I've been dying since you told me you finished it. How long is it?" she asked getting comfortable and leaning into it.  
"Uh, It's actually almost seven minutes long" I tell her.  
"Wow" Jade and Ash say.  
"That's one of your longest" Kat says.  
I nod, "Yes but its sounds amazing, to me anyways" I tell them.  
Jade rolls her eyes, "It's going to be amazing, all of your songs are incredible, now play" she says snappy like.  
I just laugh and turn to the keys. I glanced up slightly as I saw Derrick standing by Ash, he liked my songs too. Blaise and Draco stood next to him rounding the piano. They leaned into it as Kat was doing.  
I breathe in slightly, "Okay" I say swallowing hard.

(**If you have ever listened to Carter Burwell's, Love Death Rebirth, you will know how incredible it is. I was inspired so I used it :o) )**

Violins started off, then flutes with a few notes on the piano. Flutes picked up once more, along with violin before drums started; very hard and strong. I focused on the instruments and the blends before starting on the piano softly. I kept my eyes down and focused; making sure every instrument came in on que and blended in smoothly. The acoustics in here were amazing, I was actually surprised. Violins picked up in a beautiful sweep about two minutes into the song, flutes as well which sounded peaceful; I smiled slightly. It gets really quit, a low drum sound before very slow piano started, at about four minutes. Chimes went off here and there; it reminded me of rain drops. It was a mix now of what I've used for Ashley's lullaby, but done in a different tone and spread out further with the other instruments. It picks up loud and the violins sway beautifully. At close to five minutes I play faster on the piano, throwing in a line from her lullaby once more. Everything got louder and heavier until it seized instantly and went to raindrops again. Everything came together and grew to a loud fierce sound before seizing completely with a low flute sound. It was beyond perfect.

I removed my hands from the piano and it was nothing but silence.  
I looked at Ashley first and she was gawking slightly, her face completely soft.  
"You put my lullaby in it" she tells me.  
I smile at her, "Yeah, it seemed to fit, and I've yet to use it in one of my songs."  
She hugged me quickly which made me laugh, tears in her eyes.  
"I love it! It's your best one yet in my opinion" she says.  
I laugh, "Of course it is."  
Jade was next to hug me, her arms around me from behind.  
"That was unbelievable, I love the drums and flutes, so totally epic!" she says.  
"I loved the violins and harps, it sounded pretty. Like something you would hear in a fairy tale, it carried like its own story" Kat tells me.  
"Well I love it, it sounded amazing" Derrick tells me and I smile at him.  
"It sounded incredible" Miles tells me from the chess table, both of them had stopped and was looking at all of us.  
I smile at him and look back down at the keys.  
"I'm sorry" Blaise says loudly and I look at him with narrowed eyes.  
He had a huge grin on his face.  
"Does anybody find this incredibly sexy because a girl who can play….THAT…Damn! That's hot" he tells me leaning closer into the piano to be closer to me.  
I roll my eyes at him but grin, "You're a mess" I tell him.  
He smirks even wider and I couldn't help but laugh and shake my head at him.  
"Dude don't you agree with me" he says slightly nudging Draco.

Oh boy!

He shakes his head at Blaise, but a smirk appeared on his face. He then looked back at me.  
"You're defiantly enchanting, it sounded beautiful" he tells me, his eyes very soft on mine.

YAY!

I kept my composure and tried my best to keep the blush from my cheeks.  
"Thank you" I say giving him a smile before letting my eyes drop on the keys once more.

"Draco!"

Oh God.

The guys all laughed.  
"He'll be there in a minute Pansy!" Blaise suppressed a laugh.  
"Why is she here?" Adrian asked quietly.  
"Because I'm taking her to dinner" Draco says.  
"Awww how sweet" Kat says smiling at him.  
Carl patted Draco on the back, "Such a good little boyfriend."  
The guys all laughed and I suppressed my words, knowing that I couldn't control what came out of my mouth when it came to Pug Face. I couldn't help but wish that I was the one waiting in the parlor though, wow that's sad.  
Draco just shook his head, "I'll see you guys later."  
"Have a good time" Jade says smirking at him.  
"Like that's possible" Miles snickered.  
Draco just rolled his eyes and left the room.  
"So now that I've played the piano, I get to play winner of chess" I say turning and getting up with Ash.  
"Defiantly, let's make this interesting though" Carl says.  
"Whoever wins has to kiss you" he tells me.  
"Speak for yourself, I would purposely lose in that case" Adrian says.  
Blaise laughed, "Okay then loser kisses Astoria."  
I roll my eyes now, "Seriously, I'm glad I have no say so in this."  
"Are you game?" Carl asks me.  
I thought about it and shrugged, "Sure why not?"

Just so you know…

Wizard chess takes FOREVER!

Miles had been staring at the board for the last ten minutes.  
"There has to be someway" he says.  
Adrian just smiles, "Face it! You lost."  
"Fine" Miles says directing his last piece.  
Adrian pumped his fist in the air, "Victory!"  
"Good game, man" Miles says shaking his hand.  
"You lost. You know what that means" Carl laughed, "You have to kiss Astoria."

I sat there for a second, wondering why in the world did I agree to this in the first place.  
As Miles took a deep breath and looked over to me, I decided to just get it over with myself.

"Well your game took forever so I'm going to bed. And I'm defiantly a girl of my word so…" I say walking over to Miles who looked slightly scared. I just grinned and kissed his cheek, both my hands holding his face.  
"You never said where" I say winking at Blaise. He groans.  
"Good night boys, I'll play Pucey later. Girls" I say hugging them quickly.  
We yell our goodnights as I leave the living room and running up the stairs to my room.


	11. Here comes the bride!

Daphne was standing in front of her elaborate mirror. She wore an ocean blue dress, her long blonde hair fell loose in curls around her shoulders. Her blue eyes, which she always considered her best feature, were brought out beautifully with the dress. She applied a bit of blush and some pink lip gloss and looked herself over. She knew she looked beautiful. She tried hard not to think about what she had to do tonight. She never dreamed in a million years that she would have to do this. How could Theo have done this to her? Why in the world would he have wanted Astoria over her? It did not seem possible.

No one in their right mind would choose Astoria over me.

A knock on the door told her that it was time. She went to the door and when she opened it, Nott was standing there, looking very handsome in black dress robes.  
"Daphne" he says with a huge smile.  
"You look absolutely stunning" he tells her.  
"Thanks" she says quietly as she brushed her hair out of her face.  
Theo gave her an odd look, "Can I come in?" he asked.  
She nodded.  
"You alright Daph?" he asked, looking into her eyes for an answer.  
"Perfect" she says with an attempted smile.  
She knew he didn't believe her as he looked her over suspiciously.  
"Where's Astoria?" he asked trying to change the subject.  
A look of fury crossed her face and she wanted to punch him across the face. She tried to remain angry but instead she began to cry.  
"Daphne! What is it? Is it Astoria? Is she okay?" he asked concerned.  
"That's all you care about isn't it" she asked trying to hold back her tears.  
Theo looked bewildered. "What are you talking about?"  
She broke down and began sobbing and he led her over to the couch. He put his arm around her and she pushed it off.  
"Pansy saw the two of you together! On…on a date!" she said through sobs.  
"How could you do this to me, Theo? Don't you know how much I love you? I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. How could you-" She was cut off by his soft lips crashing into hers.

"Daphne! I love you more than anything or anyone in this world. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Astoria and I were not a date. She was just helping me out with something."  
He paused.  
"You see I chose Astoria, because she has the same size hands as you do" Theo said smiling.  
"What?" Daphne says, her tears disappearing.  
Theo pulled a small box out of his pocket.  
"Daphne, I really do want to spend the rest of my life with you."  
He got up and kneeled down In front of her. He opened the small box to reveal a stunning diamond ring.  
"Daphne Annalise Greengrass, will you marry me?" Daphne smiled and her eyes watered again.  
"Oh Theo! I'm so sorry for what I did. I should know better than to listen to Pansy!"  
He looked at her anxiously. "So?"  
"Of course I'll marry you!" Her arms went around him. "Nothing in the world would make me happier than to become Mrs. Theodore Nott!"  
He slid the ring on her left ring finger and her lips crashed down onto his.


	12. The best day of my life

I woke up in my huge, warm bed cursing the clicking noise on my window. I got up and saw a grey owl, that I knew to be Nott's, flying outside. I walked over to the window and the owl flew in. I untied the letter from its leg and the owl flew off. I opened the letter and saw a note in Theo's handwriting.

Astoria,

Thank you for all of your help. I really do appreciate it. I'm sorry that I caused so much strife between you and Daph. However, everything should be worked out now and she should let you move back because we're GETTING MARRIED! I'm so happy! Thanks again for your help and I really am sorry that you had to move out on my account. But thanks for keeping it a secret for me. You're the best!

Your future brother in law,

Theo

I read the note over and I was happy that the two of them were able to work things out; for Theo's sake. I wondered if Daphne would let me know or if she would ask if I wanted to move back. Not that I would. I was enjoying living with Ash and we were already working on blueprints my own home. For now I had a nice room, nice company, and well Draco was around a lot. Plus, I didn't want to go through the hassle of moving again, not that it was so hard the first time but still. I was going to be a permanent resident here until my home was finished.

The week went by quite uneventful with no word from Daphne. Draco had only made a few appearances at the manor; he hung around a few days to watch me record my new song, along with Derrick, Miles, and Blaise. The guys had been pretty busy though and I wasn't tormented as much.

Jade and Kat spent their days here as well; my new song took about three to five days. Ashley was there also when she wasn't working. We were finishing recording, this being the fifth day and I was ready for it to be over! Wichita Records was an amazing industry; I was always amazed at the quality in my music. I see my main manager about two times a month, on various occasions. My sound and acoustic majors, which were here now; I knew from my Hogwarts years. Lorraine Quinn was my acoustic director; a very beautiful Ravenclaw. She had shiny raven straight hair, olive skin, and hazel eyes; her only down fall was her large nose. Heather Loft was my sound director, another Ravenclaw and close friend of Lorraine's.

Finishing the piece and declaring it finished seemed like a victory all its own. Jade and Kat said their goodbyes before leaving. Ashley had to return to work so I went with her until we got to the shop before heading to the Leaky Cauldron to get something to eat. I took a seat and waited for Hannah to come take my order. As I picked up my menu I saw my sister and Pansy Parkinson taking a seat. Daphne had a huge smile on her face and I knew she had just told Pansy her good news. I watched Pansy force a smile but then she broke down into tears. I found this rather odd, but I couldn't bring myself to actually be concerned as to what brought on her tears, neither did I care. I just hoped that neither of them would see me. Once I had gotten my food, I ate quickly and managed to successfully escape without getting caught.

I walked into the manor and got into the living room where all the guys were sitting around chatting.  
I then noticed Theo was among them.  
"Hey!" he says getting up. I smiled as he walked over to me.  
"Congrats" I say hugging him.  
"I came over to see you. I wanted to make sure you got my owl this morning" he tells me.  
"Sorry I didn't have time to respond, but I'm excited for you, I finally have someone I can call family again" I tell him.  
He grins and hugs me, "Well I better be off. I just wanted to see you before I took Daphne out tonight" he then turned back to the guys.  
"I'll see you guys later" he tells them.  
"Give our congrats to the fiancé" Carl says.  
"Will do" he tells us.  
A chorus of congrats was yelled from Adrian, Miles, and Derrick as Theo apparated away.

"So how do you feel about Daphne getting married?" Adrian asked me.  
I shrug, "I think he can do so much better, then again we all know my relationship with my sister. But as long as he's happy I'm happy, I adore Theo" I tell them.  
"Won't he be like the first person in your family you like?" Derrick asked.  
I laugh, "He's the only person I will consider family, next to my father. My mother can go to hell and sometimes I wish Daphne would take the same train."  
They boys laugh.  
"Well I'm glad you have the one person then. How was recording today?" Miles asked.  
"Good. I'm done. Now to start on the next one" I tell him.  
"Any ideas?" Derrick asked.  
I sigh, "None but I'm sure I will have something in no time."  
Adrian laughs, "How does that work. How can you just come up with piano music off your head like that?"  
I grin, "Because I'm awesome…that and it's a gift."  
The boys smile or roll their eyes at me, I just laugh.  
"So with Daphne and Theo obviously working things out, does that mean you're leaving?" Adrian asked, looking hopeful.  
I laughed, "Nope I'm staying just to piss you off now" I tell him and he growls slightly.  
"You can stay however long you like" Miles tells me.  
"Ha!" I say looking at Adrian, who just rolls his eyes.  
"Ashley loves having you here and you know I love ya so I ain't complaining" Derrick tells me, winking at me.  
I smile at him, "Thanks Derrick."  
I smile and rub it in to Adrian.  
"Damn, I could've had your big room" Carl says.  
"You still can, I need a dog on the floor" I tell him smirking at him.  
"Ha Ha" he says while the other's laugh.

Just then we heard a loud bang come from the entry hall.

"Ashley, is that you" Derrick yelled.  
"No" A familiar male voice answered and Draco walked into the room soaking wet.  
"Look whose wet" I say waving my wand at him, drying himself off.  
"Obviously and thank you" he says looking at me.  
"Favor repaid" I tell him, he gives me a soft laugh and smile.  
"What's with you Draco" Carl asked.  
He took a deep breath, "Pansy just told me that she never wanted me to be within a hundred miles of her and that if I even tried to see her she was going to set her father on me" he tells us.  
"So did you guys break up?" Adrian asked.  
Draco nodded, "So do you mind if I stay here for the night? I'm not ready to break the news to my parents yet."  
"Of course, you okay" Miles asked him.  
He smiled a very fake smile. "Of course."

Explains Pansy's tears

This might be the greatest day of my life!


	13. What the HELL!

"Ashley!" I yell as I run up the stairs.  
"I'm in my room" I heard her yell back.  
I walked into her room, Kat and Jade hugging me as soon as I walk through the door.  
"Where did you two come from?" I ask.  
"We just got here, we were heading down to find you" Jade tells me.  
I smile and then my eyes gawk, "Did you guys hear" I say going over and sitting on Ashley's bed.  
They all climbed on, "What?" they ask.  
"Pansy and Draco broke up" I whisper to them, I didn't want him to hear this.  
"WHAT!" Ashley and Jade shout, Kat looked wide eyed.  
I nodded fast.  
"Why?" she asked.  
I shrugged, "I don't know and hell I don't care. But it might have to with the fact that Daphne and Theo are engaged and they've only been together three years and Pansy and Draco are not and they've been together for what? Like 8 years or something?" I ask.  
"That could be true. I know it bothered Pansy. I've heard Draco talk about it before" Ashley tells us.  
"Well I'm excited, it's long overdue. I never thought this day would come" I tell them.  
They all laugh.  
"I remember telling you that it finally would. You just never actually believed me. You never really saw much of their relationship, but it was not the healthiest. They fought all the time but it was a convenient relationship for both of them so they stayed together."  
I raise a brow, "You really think there was nothing to it but convenience?" I asked Ash.  
"No. I think at one time they were probably in love. But then I think it became natural for the two of them to be together. They've been together since they were 14. That's a long time and neither one of them have ever been in another relationship" Ash says.  
"That's true. But I think that this really isn't going to last. Pansy's going to get over it. And then Draco will ask her to marry him and they can live happily ever after" I say as I thought about it all, I shuddered. "That's terrifying" I say, they laugh.  
"That's a tragedy" Jade says looking at her nails.  
Ash shrugged, "We'll just have to see. I don't actually know what happened."  
We sat there and talked for a few minutes before deciding to head to bed.  
"Night" we all said, giving hugs.

I left her room, Jade and Kat heading for there's. When I got to my room, I jumped; a figure was sitting on my bed.  
"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you" Draco says as he got up off my bed.  
My hand was on my chest and I breathe in and out deeply, "Give me a moment to restart my heart."  
He laughs softly and nods. I laugh slightly and nod back before walking towards my bed.

Breathe Astoria…

"I know this is strange. I don't know you very well. But you seem like a sensible kind of person and you're a woman" he says and then shook his head, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be bothering you and not this late" he tells me.  
I laugh and sit down on my bed, "Sensible kind of person, yeah…go with that" I tell him.  
He lets out a slight laugh, very soft.  
"Your fine, no worries. I'm not tired yet anyways" I say sighing slightly, "Did you need to talk to me?" I ask.  
He just nodded. "Yeah. I don't know who to talk to about this. About Pansy" he says and I nod.  
"The guys don't get it. None of them are in any sort of serious relationship. They have girlfriends but they just don't understand and they don't talk about relationships ever. And I know Ash and Jade and Kat. Ash & Jade are outspoken when it comes to Pansy…."  
I laugh, "Yeah" I say nodding.  
He grins slightly, "And I know you really don't like Pansy either but you don't tease me like the rest of them do" he tells me.  
I smile, "Well I do manage to have a little self-control. Not to say that I can guarantee no snide remarks but I'll make my best effort."  
He smiles slightly bigger, "You have a refreshing sense of humor I hope you know that."  
I laugh and smile at him, "I actually appreciate that, my mother always said it was the worst thing about me."  
He takes a seat on the bed now and turns more towards me, "I disagree."  
I smile and let my eyes drop.  
"Is your mother that bad? I mean she must like something about you, have something in common?" he asks.  
I laugh, amused, "Yeah our DNA matches, that's about it."  
He laughs a sincere laugh and I smile.  
"Glad to see I can make you laugh. Okay well all things aside, I'm all ears" I tell him.  
He sighs and nods. "Okay, so you know that Pansy and I broke up tonight" he says.  
I nod, refusing to say words. He took a deep breath and then got up and started pacing about my room.  
"I just need to talk to someone about it. I know we didn't have the best of relationship but I did love her."

WHY ON EARTH!

I bit my lip hard and nodded at him, refusing to speak once again. I don't want to be responsible for the words that would come out.  
"Tonight after hearing about Daphne and Theo's engagement she was less than happy. Because we've been together for 8 years and they've been together three. I thought that was it. So I asked her to marry me tonight. I figured why not?"  
I swallowed hard and kept my eyes on him, "Uh huh" I say, not wanting to press my luck.  
He continued, "She then told me that she has been seeing someone else. I was shocked actually. It had only been really recently. It was a friend of mine from the Quidditch team."  
He paused then remembered. "You'll know him. He dated Daphne."

I breathe in slightly, "Henrick Urquhart?" I ask.  
"Yes, Henrick." I nodded, "Yeah I remember him, Daphne dumped him for Theo."  
"I remember that" Draco says.  
"Well apparently he's been dating Pansy. And well she really likes him and I was never worth her time because I didn't want to get married. Even though I asked her to marry me right there. She just said that I just didn't want to lose her and that I'm only now realizing what I'm going to miss. But she thinks she's doing what's best for herself and her happiness. She feels that he really cares about her and she is just happy when they're together."

I swallow hard again as the silence came.

"I see" was all I could come up with.  
Draco sat down next to me on my bed then.  
"I just don't know what I'm going to do without her."  
I stared at him for a few moments, swallowing hard and trying to think of a sensible thing to say that wouldn't sound too harsh. Then he looks over at me and our eyes lock.  
My lips part slightly and I breathe in, "I'm trying to digest the insults that are running through my mind."  
He stifles a very soft chuckle.

"Okay well…first I'm sorry, you're the last person that should have to go through this, the way I see it anyways. And two, for what's it worth…I think you will be just fine without her. It may suck and you probably feel awful right now, but it'll get better. In fact I can almost guarantee that, if you patch things up or not. Now I'm going to be honest and tell you that I've actually never been in a real relationship before" I say. "Really?" he asks suddenly, surprised.  
I nodded and grinned, "But I can tell you that I know what it's like to be in love and to lose that person to someone else. And it hurts but eventually you get used to it, and the pain dulls, it's almost like you become numb inside. Draco you're very capable of picking yourself up and moving on, everyone is. And….I can't believe I'm going to say this but you say you love Pansy….and…."  
I swallow hard and smile.  
"If that's so then you care about her and you want to see her happy. And if she is with Henrick, god help him" he laughs slightly, "Sorry couldn't hold that in. Her happiness is the most important thing and you'll realize that. I mean come on your Draco Malfoy, you do realize that you're like the most eligible bachelor now" I tell him.  
"What if I don't want someone else?" he asked.  
I laugh and smile at him, "You'll never know if you don't give someone a chance. I truly believe that everyone has somebody out there for them, and maybe Pansy isn't yours. Take the opportunity to see, love without risk isn't really love at all. And my dad always told me that sometimes if you love something or someone with all your heart, you have to let it go. And if it's fate, it'll come back."  
He just stared at me and I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah I've surprised myself too" I tell him and he laughs softly.  
"Thank you. That helped a lot more than I thought it would. You have a way with words" he tells me.  
I smile, "Oh I know, there usually not as sweet though."  
He grins at me and lets his eyes fall to the ground.  
I sigh heavy, "All in all, again for what it's worth, Pansy is stupid to leave you for Henrick, of all people I would actually consider that an insult. Then again….Pansy is….yeah I'm stopping there. I promised."  
He laughs now, more freely and I smile.  
"At least while I'm here, you'll keep a smile on my face" he tells me.  
"Oh for sure" I say nodding and smiling at him.  
He stared at me for a few more seconds before nodding slightly and standing back up.  
"I should let you go to bed. Thank you, you helped me out a lot" he tells me.  
"No problem" I tell him.  
"Good night Astoria" he tells me.  
"Good night Draco" I tell him.  
As he got to my door, he turned and looked at me.  
"This will probably happen again just so you know" he tells me.  
"Anytime" I smiled. He smiled back and turned and left my room.

What the HELL was that?

**So...guys give me some reviews & let me know what you think...It's about to get good!**


	14. Author's Note!

**Okay guys. Sorry it's taken me so long to put up another chapter. I have like 7 more already written, I just have to post them. Now I just wanted to give you a heads up on a few things. **

**Like the Piano, I drew inspiration from the muggle world. The best thing about Astoria is that she is not a stuck up pure blood so don't expect her & Draco to bond over pureblood socialites. I'm taking bits and pieces of the things from our world that will make it fun but interesting. **

**I'm about to post a few more chapters…I hope you like them !**


	15. Absolutely No Moping!

The next few weeks were actually quite nice. Draco stayed at the manor, avoiding his mother who now hated him for his breakup with Pansy. So we all tried to do stuff to cheer him up, Miles was desperate to get him over Pansy; we all were. I came downstairs and went into the living room; the guys were all piled around the couch playing a video game. Draco's face looked the same. Serious and tense, you could see he was trying to put on a brave face in front of everyone. I loved how I could get him to smile or laugh, I'm sure he appreciated to. Ashley walked in from the dining room and smiled at me.

She started towards me, "It's so hot in here" she complains, fanning her face.  
I grin, "Just a little. Isn't it like almost 100 degrees outside? I almost fainted in our run this morning."  
She shrugs, "It feels like hell." I laugh and hug her.  
"You know what would be awesome" she tells me as I pull back.  
"What?" I ask. "Swimming sounds amazing right now, you wanna?" she asks me.  
I narrow my eyes, "Do you have to work today" I ask, it was Monday after all.  
"Nope, I'm only working three days a week now, so that gives me more time at home" she tells me.  
I smile, "Yay, yeah sure swimming sounds great right now."  
"Sweet!" she grabs my hand and we run upstairs to change. Ashley got dressed in a dark blue bikini and then walked to Astoria's room.

She laid on my bed and wrote Jade and Kat, telling them that we were swimming and that they should come over and hang out. Meanwhile I got dressed in the bathroom, pulling on my black bikini. I brushed my hair, putting a pony tail holder around my wrist just in case. I took my necklace off and put it with my other jewelry. I then grabbed a towel out of my bathroom before walking back into my room. Ashley was attaching the notes to her owl and soon enough it was gone out the window.

"Ha! I love that bikini" she says grinning at me.  
I laugh, "Well you did buy it for me, remember?" I ask raising a brow.  
She nods, "Of course, I knew it would look good on you." We both smile and laugh softly.  
"Let's go" she says heading for the door.

I grab my towel and follow her out. We head down the stairs and then head straight back through the parlor to the back of the house. The patio doors led right out the back. We lay our towels by the gazebo area, along with our wands. They had a huge rectangular pool, a diving board, and a Jacuzzi. I walked along the side of the pool to the steps while Ashley started some music. It was really hot out, I could feel the sweat on my back. I stopped by the steps and saw Ashley coming my way.

I gathered my hair in my hands, "Shit it's hot" I say.  
She laughs, "Yeah black attracts the sun."  
I roll my eyes, "Go figure right." We both laugh.  
The music started as we both climbed in and started walking around the shallow end. We took off and swam all the way to the end, it felt great! We played around a little bit, doing flips and splashing, before swimming back to the shallow end. We stood up as another song ended.

"Hey!" we hear coming from the doors.

We smile and wave at Kat, Jade following behind her. Kat was in a pink bikini, it looked awesome with her red hair. Jade was in a green bikini, matching her green highlights in her long black hair.

"The guys are coming outside" Kat says sitting her towel down.  
"Figures" Ashley says.  
"Don't tell anybody that you're going swimming" we hear next and turn, Derrick was standing there in his trunks.  
Ashley swung her arms around my neck, "Sorry" she says obviously smiling.

He grinned and rolled his eyes before walking over and putting a towel down with the rest of ours. Carl, Adrian, and Blaise walked out then, all sporting white, black, and dark green trunks. Miles and Draco came out right after, both in black and green trunks. They were the old Slytherin Quidditch shorts worn during practice; Derrick and Blaise wore the same ones.

"Damn it's hot out here" Blaise says looking up at the sky.  
Kat had gotten in, Jade too. They were standing near Ash & I.  
"Oh this feels really good" Jade says bending back and getting her hair wet.  
"Are you going to hang on me the whole time" I say looking up at Ash who was still on my shoulders.  
She laughed and started dancing to the song that was playing. "You're comfortable" she tells me.  
I laugh at her, shaking my head. The song ended right as Carl and Adrian jumped in from the diving board.

We turned our heads from getting splashed. Derrick jumped in the shallow end and walked over to me, the same with Miles and Draco.

I couldn't help but smile at them all; Quidditch did them well in school. They still played occasionally; Miles obviously. There six packs and buff chests were clearly visible; they towered over all us was the shortest of us, petite and childlike. She was darker than me, as was Ashley. Jade and I were the pale ones; I loved it, something else I got from my father. Another thing we loved to do is run; Ashley & I do it every morning. We use to jog and tumble at Hogwarts, it was fun; a good energy burner.

Derrick grabbed Ashley off my back and she yelped slightly, laughing.  
I smile, "Ha Ha." She laughs and Derrick sits her down.  
I stand up and stretch my arms back slightly, "God your heavy" I tell her.  
She gawks at me; she jumps to pounce on me but I move and push her under the water.  
I laughed at her when she came up and she went after me again, "I'll show you heavy."  
I take off towards the deep end and she follows. I had to watch out for Carl and Adrian who were still jumping in from the diving board.  
Next thing I know Carl has a hold of me, "I got her."  
"Loser" I tell him, trying to kick myself away from him. He laughs.

Ashley grabs my foot once she could reach it and pulls me to her. She pushes me under but I pull both of them with me.  
We all come up laughing and wiping our faces off.  
"If I go down, you go down with me" I tell them, splashing Carl.  
I look back over to Ash and Jade and Kat are swimming over. Derrick, Miles, Blaise and Draco were all wrestling right in the middle; between the deep and shallow end. I smile at them and shake my head.  
"Hey, dive with me" Jade says looking at me.  
I shrug, "Sure" I say.  
We swim to the ladder on the other side and get out. Jade climbs up first and stands on one side of the board, and then I climb up and stand next to her. We stood there talking about what we wanted to do.

* * *

"Damn" Blaise says. The boys look over to where he was looking.  
"What, crushing on Jade are we Blaise?" Miles asks.  
He laughs, "Well Jade is hot, but Astoria…she has defiantly grown up since the last time I saw her. She's hotter than her sister in my opinion."  
"Yeah well Daphne is a blonde" Miles says, "I prefer brunettes."  
Derrick laughs, "Dude you've a crush on Astoria since Hogwarts, of course you prefer brunette's."  
Blaise and Derrick laughed once more; Miles rolls his eyes, "Shut up Derrick."

Draco stood there listening, grinning at their comments. He was still getting over Pansy. Then again, he was Draco Malfoy. He would never deny a compliment to a beautiful woman. Astoria was defiantly attractive, and very beautiful. She had a gorgeous body, he wouldn't deny that either. He watched as she talked with Jade, smiling and laughing with her as they stood there on the diving board.

"What about you Draco?" Blaise asks all of the sudden, drawing him out of his thoughts.  
He hadn't heard what they were saying the last few minutes.  
"About?" he asked.  
"Astoria…who do you prefer Daphne or her. I mean you're not with Pansy anymore so your back on the market" Derrick asks.  
He breathes in a large amount of air, "Well seeing as how I never really cared for Daphne in school, I can't really say her. Plus she's with Theo. And I never knew Astoria either; she was two years below us. But…." Draco trailed taking another glance at the girls.  
"But…" Miles says, getting his attention once more.  
"All the girls are beautiful, we know this. Astoria is very different from her sister, I can appreciate that. Plus, you have to admit, she has a gorgeous body" Draco states looking at Astoria.  
"Ohhh" he gets from Blaise and Derrick, "Gorgeous body huh. So Astoria" Blaise says before looking back at the girls.  
"Pure potential right there" he states looking at Astoria.  
Draco rolls his eyes, along with Miles.

* * *

"Okay, I'll go first" Jade says. I nod and step down, hanging on the steps.  
"Woo" Ashley and Kat shout as Jade raises her hands.  
She jumps up and down to get good air before trailing off, doing a few flips and twists before landing perfectly in the water.  
I smile and shout with the girls, the guys doing the same.  
Jade pops up from the water and smiles up at me, "Woo!" she says. I smile and laugh slightly, watching her swim out of the way over to the girls.  
I step up on the board and then look over into the water.  
"If I break my neck…" I start.  
Jade smirks, "I'll fix it for ya, now do it!"  
I sigh, "I haven't done this since we were like fourteen ya know" I tell her.  
"You can't lose it, you're the only girl I know that can do a back flip so go for it" she says.  
"Whoa Whoa Whoa wait a minute, back flip" Miles says narrowing his eyes at us.  
I roll my eyes and walk to the end of the board. I turn around and breathe in and out deeply, shaking my head slightly.  
"Get it Tor!" Jade yells.  
"Go Tori!" Kat says too.

I straighten my body and raise my hands in the air; gotta do it right. I jump a few times getting good air before jumping on the end of the board, I balanced on the balls of my feet going on my tip toes. I arch my back and flip, tucking my feet as I spin three times before letting my arms and feet lay perfectly straight as I hit the water perfectly. I came up and sighed heavy, smiling through the cheers and claps. I caught Ashley's smile and Miles, Derrick and Blaise were shouting and laughing, talking with one another. Draco had this sly grin on his face that of course left me melted, his arms were crossed. It took everything I could to tear my eyes away from his large arms that dripped with water, his hair still damp and slung over all messed up….Pure sexy, okay moving on.

I swam back over to the shallow end, along with the girls and stood next to the guys.  
"That was hot" Blaise says smirking at Jade and I.  
We looked at each other and grinned. I cross my arms and look around at everyone. We stood there talking for a while. Derrick picked up Ashley and slung her into the deep section. I grinned at them, Carl and Adrian took off towards them.  
"I'm thirsty, you want a water?" Jade asked looking at Kat.  
"Yes please" Kat says. She jumps up out of the pool and turns around.  
"Tori you want one" she asks.  
"No I'm good" I tell her. She walks off and I turn back to Kat.  
"You should get up there and dive" I tell her.  
She gawks at me, "Right, that would be a disaster."  
I narrow my eyes at her, smiling, "Your height is perfect for diving, you could get more air than Jade & I combined."  
"Yeah Kat go up there and try it out" Blaise says pointing up at the diving board.  
"And when I fall and break to pieces, are you going to carry me to St. Mungo's" she asks him, playfully smiling.  
Blaise smirks, "Defiantly." Kat laughs and splashes him.  
"Aw" Blaise grunts before tackling her.

Kat yelps and goes back but Blaise grabs her and they both start wrestling towards the middle.  
I watch them and shake my head, smiling at them.

I turn and look down at the water before looking up at Draco, "And what about you?" I ask.  
"What about me?" he asks.  
I move slightly towards his side, "You look like you could combust at any moment."  
He laughs softly, "You better run then."  
I gawk at him, smiling and laughing, "I'm a big girl I can handle myself."  
He grins, "Oh really, that's good to know."  
I smile and look down at the water before looking back up at him, his eyes already on me.  
"You need to smile" I tell him, still slightly grinning.  
"Need and can are two totally different things" he tells me.  
My face softens, "Not with me, smile" I say pocking him on his side, low right by his trunks. He jumps slightly and narrows his eyes at me.  
"Oh" I say smiling, "Smile" I say poking him again. He grins but not a smile.  
"Oh that's a grin, not a smile" I say now poking him again, moving to stay with him as he backed up.  
He grabs my wrist, holding it back but I just poke his other side.  
"Smile" I say lightly, and finally he does.  
"Ha, I win" I say smiling at him.  
He just shakes his head but grins, "Yeah Yeah."  
I just laugh, "Seriously you can't mope around, I see the mopiness in your face. You're forbidden to mope, at least in front of me."  
His face softens as he looks at me, I wondered if he realized he was still holding my wrist.  
"Is that so" he tells me.  
"That is defiantly so" I tell him, a soft smile on his lips. He lets go off my wrist and held his arms up, as if to surrender.  
"I give in then, I don't want to be poked to death" he tells me.  
I smile, "Oh I don't have to poke you" I tell him.  
His eyes narrowed but then he gawked at me as I splashed him.  
A huge grin/smirk grew on his face and I smiled, "Now there's my smile, see it works" I say.  
"Alright now you're getting it" he tells me.  
I go wide eyed and I back up, "Oh no" I say my hands up. I keep backing up into the middle of the pool and he was coming after me still.  
"I surrender" I say my hands up slightly.  
I hear him laugh, "No surrendering" he says and he picks me up and throws me into the water.  
I came up gawking and I pounced on him.

From then on it seemed awesome. Ashley came to my rescue, but then Derrick teamed with Draco and we were going at the both of them. Then it was an all-out wrestling and dunking match between everyone. We played for hours it seemed and as it grew darker, the lights in the pool turned on. It got a little chilly but not much, so Miles kicked the heater on.

"How about we grill out for dinner seeing as how were all out here" Miles asks looking around at everyone. We all shout yes.  
He laughs softly and climbs out of the pool, Carl and Adrian following him.  
"Steak and Chicken" Blaise calls out, we all laugh.  
I climb out of the pool, and grab a towel, Jade and Kat beside me.  
The boys were climbing out too; Derrick and Ashley still splashing and dunking each other in the water.  
I smiled at them and shook my head.

"Hey! Do you remember that meteor shower we watched 2nd year?" Jade asks me.  
I look at her, "Yeah! It was amazing, I loved it" I tell her.  
She grins, "Isn't it coming up again?" she asks.  
I thought about it for a second, "I think so."  
Kat hopped up on the brick surrounding the Jacuzzi, "which way will it come from?" she asks.  
"Uh" I say, hopping up beside her. Jade climbed up as well as we all looked at the sky.  
"We were in the astronomy tower last time, it faces…" Jade trailed off thinking.  
"Ashley!" I yell turning around to find her.  
"Yes" she says in a sing song voice.  
"Astronomy Tower, what direction would that be" I ask her. Her eyes narrow, as does Derrick's.  
"I believe it would be…that way" she says pointing. I narrow my eyes and turn back around.  
"Sweet, that sounds about right" Jade says.  
"The shower was on the 26th, I remember cause Slytherin won the Quidditch cup" Kat says.  
Jade sighs, "Good times. Any who, that means it should be passing through Thursday."  
"What are you three talking about?" Ashley says hopping up next to us.  
I look at her, "the meteor shower, 2nd year" I tell her.  
"That thing was amazing" she tells me smiling.  
"It's this Thursday" Kat tells her.  
Ashley gawks slightly, "We should so watch it" she says.  
I nod, "I agree, a tradition in the making." Kat claps while Jade laughs.  
"Sweet, Yeah let's do it" Ashley says.  
"Do what?" Blaise says. We all turn to see Blaise, Derrick, and Draco standing there.  
"Oh nothing" Jade says, us girls laughing slightly.  
I could smell the food cooking, I was so hungry. The boys took a seat around the Jacuzzi, talking amongst themselves. I caught Draco's eye before I was pulled into the grass by the girls. We passed the time away by playing around with some tumbling, always fun.

* * *

We were laughing slightly when we walked back over to the boys.  
"You should be doing gymnastics" Blaise tells me.  
I grin, "I'll pass, I love playing the piano. Tumbling is just something to pass the time away, especially at Hogwarts."  
Ashley laughs, "So much fun in the snow." All of us laughed, thinking of the memories.  
Carl and Miles joined us then.  
"Have you worked up an appetite, cause the food is done" Miles says smiling at me.  
I nod, "Starving."  
We all share grins and small laughs, turning and heading up to the gazebo.  
"That was impressive" Draco tells me, poking me in my side. He's been doing that since I started the whole poking thing in the pool.  
I jump slightly and laugh, "thanks, stop poking" I tell him poking him back.  
He grins and jerks back and we both just smile.


	16. I believe your blushing

Tuesday came and everyone was busy. I spent the day sitting in my room, working on melodies for my next song. Miles was at Falcon's practice. The rest of the boys were working; Ashley too. Jade and Kat were gone, so I was all alone; I loved it. I got so focused, time seemed to pass by really fast. Carl and Adrian got home first; they popped in to say hello but I was so zoned in, I barely noticed them. They just shut the door quietly and went downstairs. Ashley and Derrick got home shortly after; they walked into the kitchen finding Carl.

"Hey, where's Astoria?" Ash asked him.  
"She's been in full writing mode the last hour we've been home" he tells her.  
She nods her head, "I'll leave her be then, she'll come down when she's done."

Miles got home about half an hour later and took a shower. When he walked into the living room, Blaise and Draco were home too; it was going on about five.

"Where's Tori?" Miles asks looking around.  
"Upstairs in her room" Carl says.  
"Writing" Ashley finishes.  
"Ah" he says now sitting down watching Blaise and Adrian go at it in wizard's chess.

Ashley was stretched out on the couch reading a book; her head resting in Derrick's lap. Another hour passed and it was going on dinner time. Everyone got up to head to the kitchen but Draco went into the parlor and headed upstairs. He was heading to his room to change but he stopped outside of Tori's door; hearing the piano playing from inside. He smiles very softly at the tone and breathed in lightly. He knocked on the door.

I heard a knock on the door and looked up, breathing in heavy.  
"Come in" I say looking at the door.  
It opens and Draco steps in. "Hey…your home it's only…" I say looking over at the clock.  
"Wow it's five already, I totally lost track of time" I say now looking back at him.  
He laughs softly and walks over, sitting on my bed.  
"I was just heading to my room and I heard you playing. How's the new song?" he asked.  
I breathed in heavy and looked down, "Um, it's coming along I guess. I think I'm actually finished."  
He gawks slightly, "You finished an entire song in one day."  
I smile, "Yeah It can happen. Occasionally."  
His face softens, a small grin on his lips, "Play it" he asks me.  
I looked at him; for the first time I blushed…I looked down quickly. His eyes narrowed, "I believe Ms. Greengrass that you just blushed."  
I laugh slightly, "And I believe you are seeing things."  
He laughs softly, "I have perfect vision."  
I look at him, still slightly blushing, his grin growing just seeing it. "I bet Mr. Seeker" I tell him.  
He smirks. "The best" he tells me and I laugh.  
We were quit for a minute and I stared at my keyboard.  
"What is it?" he asked.  
I breathe in softly through my nose and look up at him.  
I part my lips and shake my head slightly, "It's just…I usually play my songs like thirty times and make sure everything is perfect before letting anybody here them. Even Ash or Jade or Kat or…anybody. The only person that I really didn't care was my dad" I tell him softly.  
He nods gently, his eyes warm.  
"Well I promise I won't laugh" he tells me after a few short seconds. I stare at him, biting my lip slightly.  
I breathe in deep and let out hard, he could see me struggling.  
He grinned softly, "Come on, play it."  
I smother my lips to keep from smiling but fail.  
I breathe in heavy and let out hard, "Fine but if it sucks, I'm wiping your memory."

He laughs softly but nods. He turned his body more towards mine, getting comfortable.I breathe in and out heavy once more through my nose, my eyes on my keyboard. I look up and lock eyes with Draco's for a few seconds; I smile small and look back to my keyboard.

I played what I had written, which was a little over 3 minutes long. I wanted to go back to my root and do something with mainly just piano. However I did put a very light violin sound in the background. I didn't look up to see if he liked it or if he even looked interested, I kept my eyes locked on the keys. It ended beautifully, softfully and I pulled my hands away from the keys slowly before resting them in my lap.

"It probably sounds…" I start; he cut me off.  
"Perfect" he says, cutting me off.  
I look up instantly and lock eyes with his, "Really, be honest" I tell him.  
He grins, "I am being honest, it's perfect. It sounds beautiful."  
I smile at him and drop my eyes, "thanks."  
He laughs, "So! Now that you know it's perfect, and clearly you've been in here all day. It's dinner time, if you're hungry…"  
I smile, "Starving, apparently I missed lunch."  
He nods, laughing softly. I get up from the bed as he does; he turns and heads to the door.  
"I haven't really asked you…." he turns and looks at me, "how you are…ya know with the whole Pansy thing. I know I can keep a smile on your face; yet I know that only goes so far" I tell him.  
His face turned sad but then soft, his eyes warm.  
He did smile though, but very small."I'm okay, I mean there are still time's when I miss her, but I'll deal. It's only hard when I'm alone; it's easier when I'm around everyone…" he laughs softly, "especially you."  
His hair fell down, a few strands by his eyes.  
I lifted my hand and pushed them back up in place before looking him in the eyes, letting my hand drop back to my side.  
I smile softly at him, "I'm glad."  
He seemed frozen for a few seconds but recovered with a smile, "let's get you something to eat."  
I simply nod and smile. He turns and opens the door for me.  
I walk on through and we both head downstairs.


	17. Dance Central 2 & Twister

Wednesday was odd yet pleasing.

Everyone was working in the morning, except for Jade. So it was just us working on my new song a little bit more. Kat joined later around lunch time, along with Ashley who left work early. I played the song for them and they too agreed with Draco; which they teased me about for letting him listen to it first. I've been getting that a lot lately it seems; the pool and the poking. They were taking bets on how long it takes for us to go out together. I just rolled my eyes and smiled; wishful thinking.

After I finally convinced myself that it was indeed perfect, I put everything away. I would record it tomorrow, no since in wasting the rest of the day in trying to start. So since we were all free, we headed downstairs and grabbed something to eat. Afterwards, we piled in the living room to play some Dance Central 2.

We LOVE this game!

Ash and I teamed up, as did Kat and Jade. We tossed a sickle and Jade and Kat won the toss to go first.  
"Okay we choose" Jade says trailing, thinking of her options. She whispers with Kat for a few seconds before they both smiled.  
"Just dance by Lady GaGa" Kat says smiling from ear to ear.  
Ashley and I smiled, laughing softly as they both get ready. We cheered them on by dancing behind them and clapping.

We slightly matched in colors; team wise that is. Jade and Kat sported skinny jeans. Jade had on a black top; her now amazing blue highlights brought out Kat's clothing. She had a blue plaid shirt, along with blue and white converse sneakers. Ash and I matched with blue jeans as well. Ash wore a long sleeved purple shirt & I wore a black and purple stripped plaid shirt. We all wore knee high black boots.

We played for about an hour and Ash & I were on our last song. "Party Rock Anthem" popped up on the screen and Ash & I died laughing.  
"No fair!" Jade says crossing her arms laughing.  
"Yes" Ash & I say clapping hands, smiling.  
We faced the TV and the song began. We laughed the whole way through it; this song was amazing to dance too.  
I couldn't help but laugh and smile; Kat and Jade were dancing alongside us.

What we didn't know, was that Derrick, Blaise, and Draco walked in and stood in the doorway with their arms crossed; clearly amused at watching us. And of course we didn't notice, we just kept dancing and smiling. When it finally finished, Ashley and I were out of breathe and laughing, we clapped hands in the air and hugged tightly. Kat and Jade came in for a hug as well as we waited for the game to announce the winner.  
My name flashed across the screen, then Ashley's.  
I laughed, "Yes!" I shouted, clapping hands with Ashley before hugging her once more.  
We then here claps and whistles; we turn to see the guys, all grinning and clapping.  
"Oh gosh how long have you guys been there" Ashley asks hiding behind me, her arms around my neck. I just laughed.  
"For about the last minute and a half" Blaise says smirking.

I shake my head, my eyes catching Draco who was looking at me. He grinned and I smiled slightly bigger. That was when it got slightly odd, but not in a bad way. The whole evening, throughout dinner as well; Draco kept looking at me, and we would just smile at each other and then turn our glances elsewhere. But then it seemed to ease later that night when all the girls decided to play twister. Well actually I was pulled off the couch to play but yes we all played twister. Blaise, Miles, Derrick, and Draco played with us girls while Carl and Adrian played Wizard Chess. We all spinned to see who went first; which turned out to be Blaise. We went to the left and I was standing by Ash & Jade. Blaise did his turn, and then it was Derrick. Then Kat did her turn, then Miles. Jade spun and moved on her color; I did the same after her. Ashley was after me and last but not least was Draco. About ten minutes into the game, it got…complicated. We were laughing a lot, moving was becoming somewhat impossible. Kat ended up bent backwards; her hands holding her up while her feet sat on two different colors. I had managed to get lucky and only move my legs to certain colors. Draco's leg was slightly past my own, stepping on a yellow dot. Ashley was spread out on the board; if her legs move anymore she would probably manage the splits.

All in all, it was a big mess.

"Tori your turn" Blaise tells me, holding up the spinner so I could spin.  
"Okay" I say spinning it.  
"Right hand on Red, that's four back. And left on yellow, 4 back also" Blaise calls out.  
"Oh boy" I say now turning around to see exactly where I was going.  
"Kat you're in my way" I say looking over her.  
"Yeah it's like right up against me" she says.  
"Oh Tori loses" Blaise says smirking at me.  
I raise a brow, "I never lose." I look behind me for a few more seconds.  
"Kat…don't move" I tell her.  
"Okay" she says sounding perky. I let my body drop as I stretched to the red dot with my hand.  
"Oh" Kat says, "You're laying on me Tor" she says.  
"I know" I say laughing. I then pulled my other arm and arched my back completely up, placing my other hand on the yellow dot.  
I turn my head to look at Kat, "Is that better?" I ask trying to hold myself up.  
"Yes" she says smiling.  
"Good because after this, I'm going to need a back massage" I say letting my head fall back.  
"I'll pencil you in" Blaise tells me, I look over to see him wink.  
"Not if I break your hands" I tell him. His smirk fades and I hear a few laughs, one I knew was Draco's.  
Ashley did her turn, I was happy I didn't fall down.  
"Good job Tori, don't fall on me" Kat says in my ear, I laugh.  
It was Draco's turn, he spun and got left hand on green; which in his direction just so happened to be right under me. Luckily his arms were long; he went to bed over my stomach and touched his dot.  
"I'm not putting too much pressure on you am I?" he asked. I pulled my head up so I could look at him; he was closer than I thought he would be.  
My breathe caught slightly, "No" I say before letting my head fall back.

My arms were starting to feel slightly numb from the pressure. Draco laughed softly. I was thankful when we didn't make it through the next round; Derrick fell trying to move his arm, down people went. I managed to stay up, as did Draco; Kat was still under me lying flat on her back.

"Move Kat" I say quickly and she hurriedly got out from under me. Her leg hit my arm and down I went; Draco falling right on top.  
"Oh" I say closing my eyes as I took in my fall.  
I felt Draco get off of me, "You okay?" he asks.  
I open my eyes and see him looking down at me, "Yup" I say.  
He grinned, "Good."  
With that, he climbed to his feet and helped me up.

I could feel it, my back needed to pop. I turned to the side quickly and I heard a few small cracks.  
I sigh slightly, my eyes closing for a brief second while I hear 'Gross' or 'Ew' from a few people.  
"I feel better" I say letting my arms down at my sides.  
"I'm going to bed, I'm wore out now" Jade says giving hugs to Ash, Kat, and I.  
"Me too" Kat says, hugging me as well.  
"That was amusing and I won the chess game. I'm ending with success. Later" Adrian says clapping the guy's hands before waving at the rest of us.  
"Goodnight" we all shout. Carl called it a night, as did Derrick. He gave a quick kiss and hug to Ash before leaving the living room.  
"I'm going to bed too, or possibly taking a long hot bath" I say looking at Ash. She laughed and hugged me goodnight.  
"You're back okay?" Miles asked me.  
I grin, "I think I'll survive." He laughs and we both hug.  
"Goodnight" I say.  
"I'm going too" Ash says giving her brother a hug.  
"Night boys" she says looking at Draco and Blaise.  
"Aw Tor I was really looking forward to that back massage" Blaise says smirking at me.  
I roll my eyes but grin when Miles and Draco both say, "Shut up Blaise."  
They share a glance with each other and then look towards Ashley & I.  
"Thanks" I say smiling at the both of them before turning and walking out of the living room, Ashley too.

"Looks like my brother has some competition" she tells me as we climb the stairs.  
"Not again Ash…Draco isn't…" she cut me off.  
"He is Tori, it's perfectly clear; my brother even see's it which is slightly scary. Two dudes under the same roof crushing on you" she tells me.  
"Miles is like my brother and two Draco is still getting over Pansy" I tell her now standing at my door.  
She just smiles and hugs me before walking across the hall to her door.  
"Keep telling yourself that Tor, goodnight" she says smiling from ear to ear.  
She goes into her room and I just stand there shaking my head.  
Smiling, I turn and head into my room to go to bed.


	18. Note 4 U

Okay guys…I need some Reviews. I need INSPIRATION! Let me know what you think so far!


	19. I'm Sexy & I Know It!

Thursday was fun!

I recorded my new song, which took longer than I thought it would. Ashley got home from work early, so she joined me for the last few hours; Jade and Kat too. Miles had an away Quidditch game; the boys went to cheer him on. They were gone past dinner, so us girls ate light snacks before heading out to the backyard to watch the meteor shower. It was beautiful!

After being outside for hours, we all got tired quick. We said goodnight to each other before heading to our own rooms.  
I took a quick shower before heading to bed.

Friday & Saturday was interesting, fun, boring, and so many other things. We hung around the house on Friday; the girls and I had dinner at Jewel Mint. Carl, Adrian, and Miles stayed at the house; playing games and eating pizza. Blaise and Draco had to attend a dinner party their families were invited too.

I was worried that Pansy may be there; then again I knew that if it was some really big thing, my mother would have made an appearance. My presence would have been demanded, blah! So I brushed it off; hoping Draco wouldn't have any Pansy drama for the evening.  
All the guys were in the living room, yelling and laughing; same as always. I spotted Draco, he was grinning so hopefully that meant his evening went okay. We said our hellos but I said my goodnight; I headed upstairs to go to bed.

Nobody had to work on Saturday so we all hung out around the house until that evening. We went out for dinner before heading to Kiss & Fly; the most amazing club ever! We got through the line and headed upstairs to the VIP Section. We took off our coats and laid them in the chair in our lounge area.  
We grabbed drinks and then toasted for the evening before the girls dragged me down to the dance floor. The guys decided to down a few drinks before even thinking about dancing. I laughed at them.

The girls & I danced through a number of songs, laughing and smiling with each other. After we headed upstairs, we got a round of drinks.  
"Come on" Ashley says tugging Derrick's arm; he grinned and gave in.  
Kat followed behind them, Jade & I right behind her along with Blaise and Miles.  
We danced a few more songs; the other guys were perched over the railing watching the dance floor.  
Miles spun me a few times; Blaise trying to cut in to dance with me. I would just push him away and laugh, smiling along with Jade. I looked up slightly towards the railing; Draco was gone. I swallowed hard as I let my eyes scan the area; I still didn't see him.  
"Hey, you wanna go grab a water" I ask Kat. She smiles and nods, looking thankful I offered.  
I smiled and took her hand; together we made our way back upstairs. When we reached the top, I saw Draco sitting in the lounge area alone.  
He looked completely dazed; you could tell he was in full thinking mode.  
"I'll grab them" Kat says, my eyes still glued on Draco still.  
I nodded, "thanks" I mumble.

I walked over to him and sat down beside him, "Hey" I say.  
He looked up at me, "Hey" he says, turning slightly towards me.  
"You look glum again…I'm gonna start poking" I tell him, leaned in slightly because of the noise around us.  
He laughed, "I use to come here with Pansy that's all. Of course we would just sit and drink usually, with friends. She wasn't a really good dancer, not to this music anyways."  
I laugh, "That doesn't surprise me." He grins at me, looking around a bit before looking back to me.  
"So you're just going to sit here and sulk in old memories" I ask him.  
He raises a brow, "What else is there?" he asks me.  
I laugh and smile at him, "Make new one's" I tell him.  
He laughs and looks to the ground. "That's tempting" he says trailing.  
I grab his arm and pull him up on his feet, "Very and I'm not about to leave you up here thinking about her. I know the perfect cure" I tell him.  
He looked amused, a small smirk on his face.  
"Really and what might that be?" he asks.  
"Dancing….with me" I say smiling at him.  
I saw his lips curl up but I turned quickly and pulled him with me. Kat was by my side, handing me my water. I threw it on the couch and Kat followed along with us, along with Carl and Adrian this time. We reach the group and Ashley winks at me, I just roll my eyes and smile. Draco looked very sexy, especially in the dark with all the lights going. He had on black dress pants and shoes, along with a gray button up shirt; very soft and fitting on his abs and muscles.

"PARTY ROCKERS IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT. EVERYBODY JUST HAVE A GOOD TIME. AND WE GON' MAKE YOU LOOSE YOUR MIND. WE JUST WANNA SEE YOU….

SHAKE THAT!

Lights of silver and blue flashed the room as the beat blared through the club.  
Shocks of Electricity shot through the air as everyone was jumping and clapping to the beat.

It was crazy!

I looked at Draco, he grinned at me. I smile and laugh, taking his hands and moving him with the beat, our hands entwined and in the air; just like Ashley and Derrick who were right next to us. Before I knew it he was smiling and laughing, dancing and having fun; that made me even happier. It led into 'I'm Sexy & I Know It' and it seemed like everyone got even louder. Our hands left each other's and we all clapped to the beat. Draco's hand rested on my side and I danced in front of him; all us still smiling and singing. Ashley & I would look at each other and point while saying 'I'm Sexy & I know it'; afterwards, we dyed in laughter! Draco spun me a few times, making me laugh and smile at him.

The most entertaining moment was the wiggling , Blaise and Carl do it very well; I was in tears from laughing for so hard. All in all, the evening was just good fun and amazing company. There's nothing better than being with friends; this was my family.

"So…that wasn't too bad was it?" I ask Draco standing close to him, my lips by his ear as he bent down.  
He grinned, "Only with you. You better dance with me again."  
I laugh and pulled back looking at him smiling. He was smirking and I slightly melted; he looked so cute

…Damn…

We danced a few more songs; I made sure to keep Draco in a good mood, absolutely no sad faces.  
What made my night was when he kissed my cheek after our last song we danced too.  
"Thank you" he told me.  
I blushed but it went away before I pulled back to look at him. I gave him a soft sweet smile.  
By the time we all got home, I was really happy to see my bed. I didn't even change, I fell on it and soon fell right asleep.


	20. Lazy Ass People

Sunday was a sleep in day, we were some lazy ass people. Of course, after Sunday is Monday; which means the beginning of a new week.

Joy

Which means, of course, that it was back to work; fun stuff right there. The week went bye fast though; I was surprised considering we really didn't do anything. I worked on a few more melodies I had come up with; my time was spent in the studio or outside writing.

Since the club, Draco and I have been… what's the word I'm looking for? Weird, awkward, yeah those both work. Again, it may just be the uneventful week. It was work, lying around, or going to sleep mostly. Ashley noticed the change too; Draco would just stare mostly, smile or keep his distance from me. I thought maybe I made him uncomfortable at the club.

However, I did catch him watching me; a few days ago. I was outside, sitting by the lake writing. I got up to come inside; I noticed him on his balcony, leaning on the railing. He was just standing there, watching me. Some people may find that slightly annoying, maybe even weird. Yeah…I loved it. What surprised me the most was that he didn't leave or try to hide it either, he just smirked at me. I smiled at him, laughing softly to myself.

We've had a few brief conversations though; brief being the key word there. I was writing by the fireplace in the living room and he sat down and talked with me for a few minutes. Then he said goodnight and went upstairs. I woke up Wednesday morning around one a.m.; I couldn't fall back asleep so I went downstairs to sit in the living room and read a book. That would definitely make me sleepy again. To my knowledge, I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, someone was picking me up. I grabbed on to them, surprised.  
When I saw it was Draco, I tensed up. "Draco" I say softly, half asleep still.  
He just smiled, "You feel asleep downstairs. I tried waking you up but you wouldn't budge so I decided to carry you upstairs."  
I let my head lean against him, sleepiness was taking over.  
"Oh" I say softly, I tried keeping my eyes open.  
He let out a soft laugh, his face still down watching me. He was climbing the stairs now; it seemed effortless for him to carry me. I mean I'm not heavy or fat but I defiantly weighed more than your average backpack. He got my door open and put me in bed; he even pulled the covers over me.  
I turned my head and got comfortable. I opened my eyes and grabbed his wrist before he could leave. He turned and looked at me, my eyes really heavy. "Thank you" I tell him softly.  
He turns more towards me and his free hand comes up and brushes some hair out of my face.  
"Sweet Dreams Astoria" he whispers to me, his eyes warm on mine.  
It was in that second that my eyes started closing and my grip on his arm loosened until I let go off it completely.

Draco just grinned at her and glanced her face for a moment before turning and leaving her room, shutting the door quietly behind him.


	21. You are Cordially Invited!

That morning I woke up to an owl pecking at my window. I wondered if it was Daphne, even worse my mother. I hadn't heard from them in weeks, I knew my luck would soon run out.

Yup it did, it was from my mother.

**You are cordially invited to a gala at the Greengrass Manor this Saturday to celebrate the engagement of my beautiful daughter, Daphne Greengrass to the handsome and wonderful Theodore Nott. The party starts at 6 pm with dinner at 7pm.**

**Leona Greengrass**

'How nice!' I thought to myself as I read the first letter. I wondered what an invitation to my engagement party would say. I shuddered; my mother wasn't invited to my wedding, let alone my engagement party. I opened up the second letter, again from my mother.

**Astoria,**

**I'll be arriving at the Bletchley Manor today to pick you up to buy you some dress robes. Please be ready at 11 am. And please try to find an acceptable date to the party please. **

**Mother**

I looked at the clock, it was 10am. Why in the hell did my mother have to come today? My luck was officially over, for sure. I sighed heavy, I wasn't up to an evening with my mother; being compared to Daphne or how I was never going to get a husband as wonderful as Theo.

FML!

I took a shower and then fixed my hair and makeup. I pulled on some jeans and a green and black plaid shirt, two thing's my mother hated!

That made me love it even more!

I pulled on some black boots and then headed downstairs. I could hear my mother, who was already here sitting in the kitchen talking to none other than Draco. I'm sure she's saying wonderful things about me or worse nagging him about Pansy. I decided to wait in the hall and see what she was saying.  
"Now Draco, how you could let a girl like Pansy go astounds me" she was saying.

I was MORTIFIED! Draco didn't need to hear that shit.  
"She's from a good family. You're parents loved her. Now, I will let you know that Daphne is obviously taken, Astoria, is still available" She laughed a bit.  
I could feel my face getting redder.  
"However… Astoria is not the beauty that Daphne is nor does she have such fine etiquette manners as Daphne. She may be a downgrade but she still is from a good family, you know."  
"Thank you Ms. Greengrass. Though I do not know Astoria extremely well, I would never say that she is by any means a downgrade from Daphne" He tells her.  
A huge smile crept on my face as I heard these words and I decided to make my presence known.  
My mother nodded. "Well, that's kind of you Draco."

"You know you should really keep your nose out of other people's business Mother" I say crossing my arms at her.  
She stood up and glared at me, "Astoria, would a dress kill you, or a skirt. You look terrible."  
I smirk, "And you look ugly too, can we get this over with. I'm doing this for Daphne, not you."  
Draco looked slightly surprised at the way I talked to my mother, but soon enough a small grin formed on his lips.  
"Do not speak to me in such a manner Astoria, not when other people are present. Daphne would never talk to me that way, you have no manners for your superiors, let alone your own mother" she tells me, standing tall and proud.  
I raise my brows, amused by her performance.  
"Oh I'm sorry; here let me try it again. Hello Mother, how have you been? You look fantastic, those teas and stuck up socialites are really working for you. How's the manor, how's pureblood life? Visit father lately? Spare me your talk about respect and manners. You've never acted like a mother to me, the only parent I've ever had is buried in Hollow Cemetery. So I'll say it again, can we please….you see I threw that in there….go do this and get it over with. I'm doing this for Theo and Daphne, not for you, you can be damned sure of that" I say finishing, holding my hands in front of me looking at her.  
She glares but holds her posture.  
"It was nice seeing you Mr. Malfoy" she says before leaving the kitchen and heading for the front door.

I roll my eyes and look at Draco, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I apologize, she had no right to say those things to you. Next time, tell her to shove it. It was completely out of line. You don't need anyone ramming Pug face Parkinson down your throat…no offense, I'm just pissed" I quickly add.  
He laughs softly. "Thanks and it's not a problem really, although quite amusing. You really don't like your mother do you" he asks me.  
"That's putting it lightly" I tell him. I took in a deep breathe.  
I sigh slightly, "Thank you for defending me to her, for saying I wasn't a downgrade from Daphne" I tell him.  
He nodded, "You're far from being a downgrade Tor."  
I smile softly at him, "Thanks. Hey If I don't make it back or possibly end up in Azkaban by murdering her, Ashley knows my funeral arrangements" I tell him, smiling at him.  
He laughs, "Try and behave, come back in one piece. For me."  
I was slightly surprised, but I nod, smiling softly, "I'll try to do my best, no promises."  
He laughs and I turn and leave the kitchen.  
"About time" my mother states.  
"I'd hoped you left" I say walking out the door. I hear a low chuckle and I grin as my mother walks behind me out of the manor.

"I think the emerald green will look good on you. It would match the color of your eyes and would look nice  
with your hair if you do something to it" My mother continues.  
I just nodded, refusing to argue with her.  
"Here we go" She says pulling some off the rack.  
They were a dark, forest green that was almost close to a shade of black. They were very thin, silky material. I went over to the fitting room to try them on. "Tori! What are you doing here" I hear.  
"Ash!" I say. I completely forgot at the moment that she worked here.  
"I'm here with the devil. She's making me buy some dress robes for Daphne's party. You better stay in the back. I doubt you want to talk with her" I tell her. Ashley smiled and nodded; she went into the backroom.  
I went into the fitting room and tried on the dress robes and reemerged to show mother.  
"Those are very nice Astoria. Now let's just get Madame Malkin to fit them to you properly."  
She pointed in front of the mirror for me to stand on the platform and called for Madame Malkin.  
I heard Madame Malkin's high voice call.  
"Ms. Bletchley, would you mind helping our customer over here."

Fantastic!

As Ash walked over to us, she attempted to act as professionally as possible as she measured me. My mother just stared at her.  
"Ashley" My mother said disapprovingly. "Are you working here?" she asked.  
Ashley nodded.  
"I would have thought a girl from your standing could have found a better job" she states.  
"Shut up" I say looking at my mother, she gawked at me.  
"Why do you always have to be so mean, mind your own damn business" I tell her lowly so no one else could hear.  
"I spoke low as courtesy to you" I tell her before looking at Ashley.  
I hold my arms out, "Work your magic Ash" I tell her.  
She smiles at me and continued doing my fit. My mother stood there, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed.  
Once she was done, she was smiling and handed the bill to my mother, "There you are" she tells her.  
I looked in the mirror. These robes were very beautiful.  
I went in and changed my clothes and Ashley put my new robes in a bag.  
"I'm sorry about her" I tell Ash.  
She gave me a wicked smile, "Girl you stood up for me, that was awesome. I'm sure I only got a taste of what you've dealt with your entire life" she tells me.  
I shrug, "Father is probably shaking his head at me with the way I treat her but she deserves it. If she would actually use her brain and show some common courtesy, I wouldn't have to be so rude to her" I tell her. Ash laughs and nods.  
"See you tonight, by the way I have another Draco story to tell you" I tell her.  
She smiled, "I'm sure it's good just like the rest of them." I nodded  
"Can't wait for tonight then!" she tells me and I go out the door to see my mother chatting with Violet Parkinson.  
The canine breeder in person.

Blah!

"You will be coming to Daphne's party correct?" She was asking.  
"Of course Leona. We wouldn't miss it for the world" Violet replied.  
"Lovely, I'll see you on Saturday then" My mother waved goodbye to Mrs. Parkinson.  
She turned to me, "Let's grab something to eat at the Leaky Cauldron shall we?" she asked.  
I nod and follow her down the street and into the pub.  
I was hungry so I wasn't about to argue.

As soon as we sat down and ordered my mother began in on who would be an acceptable date for me to have at the party.  
"Now, you could get Draco to take you. He seems to like you for some reason. However that would cause some issues with the Parkinson's that I do not want to deal with on that night. However after this party you should go after Draco, Astoria. I cannot tell you how pleased I would be if you managed to marry him. That would be marrying far above the expectations I had for you. So maybe you could go with Miles Bletchley. He's from a good family. You live in his house. His sister does work in a robes shop…"  
"Mother" I snap at her, glaring at her.  
She sighs and glares back, "He is a professional Quidditch player. I suggest you get him to take you. Or you could maybe get Blaise Zabini to go with you. He's an old friend of Daphne's." She stops for a second, just starring at me.

"Astoria, just please try not to embarrass your sister or I for once in your life" she tells me.  
I smiled at her, "Stay away from me the entire evening and I can guarantee I won't embarrass you. I will be honorable for Daphne and Theo, that's it."  
She swallowed hard, "Sad to say that I can only ask that much of you then. Glad to see we can agree on something."  
"Very glad indeed" I tell her before turning and watching out the window.


	22. THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING

I left my mother after we ate and walked back to the robe shop, Ashley walked out right on Que.

"Hey!" I yelled at her, she smiled at me.  
"Sup" she says now turning and we continue walking.  
"You've been here the last hour" she says.  
"I had to eat….with her" I state.  
Ashley laughs, "I bet that was fun" she says.  
"Terribly" I say, us both laughing.

We talked and laughed all the way back to the house. We walked in to find Derrick and Miles standing the parlor, leaning on the stairs.

"Hey you two" Miles says, smiling.  
"Hey" we both say.  
"We heard your mother stopped by" Derrick says, his arm going around Ashley.  
I roll my eyes, "Never speak of it. We're going to have to perform an exorcism on this house now that the devil's been here." They all laugh.  
"That bad huh?" Miles asked.  
I sigh and shrug, "Not as bad as it would have been if I hadn't spoken my mind."  
Ashley laughs, "Her mother was being rude to me in the robe shop and Tor went off on her." The boys didn't look too happy.  
"What did she say?" Derrick asked, his brows narrowed.  
I laugh, "No worries. I told her to shut up and mind her own damn business."  
Ashley busted out laughing, "Which was awesome!"  
I grin at her, "Nobody picks on my Ashley" I say hugging her tightly as she does the same.

"Jade says this is for you" Derrick says handing me a rolled up parchment.  
Ashley and I gawk and grab it quickly, unrolling it on the table in the middle of the room.  
"My blueprints" I say.  
"To…" Miles asked looking slightly confused.  
"Her dream house" Ashley says pointing to all the rooms and moving objects.  
I just grin; it looked more than amazing; I was speechless.  
"She did a really good job" Ash says, smiling from ear to ear; I nod.  
I take them in for another few seconds before shaking my head lightly from side to side, "there incredible…I can't believe her dad let her use his office to do this for me" I say.  
"All you need now is an architect and the builders" I hear from the side; I turn and smile at Jade coming down the stairs.  
"Which shouldn't be too hard…Derrick" she finishes, grinning.  
Derrick took over his father's company when he was sent to Azkaban; as did his mother.  
I hugged her tightly when she reached me, "thank you" I tell her.  
She just smiles at me, "I love you…it's so overdue." I laugh softly and look back at the prints.  
"Let's take it in the living room, that way we can spread it out a little bit better" Derrick says pulling Ashley; Jade following behind her.  
"I've gotta run up to my room for a sec; I'll be right there" I tell them. They nod and head out of the parlor.

I start to head up the stairs but Miles stops me.  
"Hey" he tells me.  
I turn and take a step down, "Hey" I say.  
He climbs up closer to me and sits on one of the steps, "Can I talk to you for a sec" he asks me.  
I narrow my eyes at him but smile, "Yeah sure" I say taking a seat next to him.  
He took in a deep breath as I turned more into him, watching him. I knew what was coming. I wasn't oblivious to the crush Miles has had on me, even in Hogwarts as we got older.  
"Well I was wondering something, about Daphne and Theo's party" he said, looking slightly nervous. I suppressed my smile and kept a solid expression.  
"Yeah sure what about?" I ask casually.  
"I mean…you like me right? We get along good don't we" he asks looking at me with a sort of desperate expression.  
I laugh, "Yeah you rock, you're practically family." He nods and looked slightly disappointed.  
"But just family, nothing…more" he wondered.  
I took a good look at him and breathed in slightly.  
"Ashley, Jade, and Kat are like the sisters I've always wanted, of how I've wanted Daphne to be. And then there's Derrick, Theo…you. You're all my family and I love all of you, and care about you" I tell him.  
He nods and keeps my eye contact, "So you love me" he tells me, a smirk on his lips.  
I smile and shake my head at him. "Of course, you're like my big brother. I love you…but I'm not IN love with you….if that makes any sense" I tell him.  
He sighs and nods, but he doesn't look completely demolished.  
"I understand that, I mean we've known each other since we were like…."  
"11" I finish for him. He smiles and nods.  
"That's a long time" I tell him.  
He laughs, "And I guess it would be weird if I asked you to be my date for the party."  
I laugh and press my lips together, "Just a little. I fully believe that whoever your date will be, she will have an amazing time" I tell him.  
He laughs, "If I can find one in time now."  
I breathe in and let out hard, "I may be able to help you out if you're interested."  
He perks up, "I'm listening."  
I laugh, "You know Lorraine, she helps with my recordings."  
He nods, "Yeah what about her" he asks.  
"Well…and don't tell her I told you this…but she has liked you since Hogwarts, like 5th year. She would be ecstatic if you asked her" I tell him.  
"Really…she's liked me that long? She is pretty" he trailed.  
I cut him off, "She's beautiful…okay she's perfect. Ask her to the party, she would be stoked" I tell him.  
He smiles big, "I will, thanks Tor. So do you mind me asking who you're taking too the dance?"  
I breathe in, slightly shrugging, "I don't know yet. My mother nagged me all day about bringing someone; I should go alone just to piss her off."  
Miles laughs and I join in softly.  
We were silent for a moment.  
"Draco doesn't have a date yet" Miles tells me and I look over at him.  
"What makes you think he would wanna go with me?" I ask him, raising a brow.  
Miles laughs, "Oh come on Tor, I know you're not that blind. You two have been getting close these past few weeks."  
I smile and roll my eyes, "He just broke up with Pansy, and I don't like seeing him depressed over her, she's not worth it. I'm helping just like the rest of you" I say trying to weasel my way around the truth. I mean yeah I was doing it because I didn't want him sad, but then again I've liked Draco for years so of course that played part in it too.

Miles just grinned at me, "So if he asked you to the dance, you would say no" he asked, a brow rose.  
I bit my lip and shrugged, slightly blushing.  
He just laughed, "You like him…" he trailed, looking to the ground.  
I just grinned, "You're not mad are you…I mean you're always going to be a part of my life Miles, you're my brother, I'm always going to be here."  
He smiled genuinely and leaned into me slightly, "Yeah I know, as long as you like me the best out of Theo and Derrick."  
I just laughed at him and hugged him, his arms hugged me tightly; his chin on my shoulder. After a few seconds I pulled back looking at him.  
"Alright, I'll let you go upstairs; I'll see you in the living room" he tells me. He stands up and makes his way to the living room.  
I shake my head slightly before pushing up and turning, running up the stairs now.

I walked into my room and saw Draco sitting on my bed.  
"Are you my new roommate?" I ask jokingly.  
He laughed a little.  
"Hey, No I just wanted to ask you something" he tells me.  
I waited patiently; his facial expression was tense yet, he looked nervous.  
"Since Pansy and I are no longer together and I need a date to Daphne's party. I was hoping you would go with me? It doesn't have to be an official thing if you don't want it to be…It's just… I think I would enjoy myself if I went with you" he tells me.

THIS IS NOT HAPPENING! IT IS….

Way to go Miles, you called it.

Ok snap out of it.

I raise a brow at him, "Are you sure you want me on your arm. My mother will be entirely frustrating" I tell him.  
"I'm sure you will keep her in check" he tells me.  
I smile, "Defiantly."  
He laughs slightly, "Then yes I'm sure. I guess I should ask you a little more formally. Will you be my date to Daphne and Theo's party?" he asks, "Please?"

Well…my mother will be pleased and annoyed. I could work both.

I breathe in hard, "Sure, I'd love to" I tell him.  
He smiles, "Great. We'll have an amazing time, I'm sure."  
I laugh slightly, "Amazing, Interesting, maybe slightly amusing."  
He laughs softly, "With you I'm sure that equals a night I'll never forget."  
With that he gave me one last smile before leaving my room.

Oh boy!

[[ DID THIS MAKE ANYBODY SMILE! It made me smile :o)! Now the Fun begins. Romance is in the air people. What do you think...!]]


	23. Lets Get this Party Started

I walked into my old room. The room I had spent most of my childhood in. I looked around at the walls. I hadn't been in here for some time. I hadn't been in this house for some time. I went and laid down on my old bed and stared at the white walls around me. A Slytherin banner hung on the wall opposite my bed. On my nightstand were two pictures; one of Ashley, Kat, Jade, and I. The other one was Daddy & I; I got lost just staring at it. A Ballycastle Bats posted hung above my bed. I looked around at everything once more and breathed in and out hard. This had been my prison and my safe zone for so many years; I felt out of place here.

I heard a knock on my door

"Astoria?" A small voice said.  
"What do you want?" I ask. The door opened slowly and Daphne stepped into my room.  
I rolled over on my bed and got up, walking over to my balcony.  
"Tor" she says, she was walking closer to me.  
"Daph just…go away" I tell her.  
She put her hand on my shoulder and turned me so I would face her.  
"Oh so now you want to talk to me" I state.  
"I know your upset with me and you have every right. But I'm going to talk even if you ignore me, okay? You don't even have to respond. You don't have to do anything. Just listen please" Daph says.  
My silence was a sign that she could continue, my eyes focused on the ground. Her hand left my shoulder and she stepped back.

"I'm sorry…for everything Astoria. I'm sorry for kicking you out of my apartment, accusing you of trying to take Theo from me. I should have talked to you after the engagement, I should have said something; anything. But I just ignored it, for too long; I know that and I'm sorry. You know I don't like to admit it when I do something wrong, that I screwed up. Tor you didn't even defend yourself, when I kicked you out. You could have told me the truth right there…that you helped pick out my ring…" Her voice cracked, I could tell she was crying.  
"But you didn't, you didn't say anything. Why? Why did you do that Astoria" she asked.  
I remained quiet; I pulled my eyes up to look at her for a second, her cheeks glistened with tears.  
"Because you're a good sister, that's why. Theo wanted it to be a surprise so you didn't say anything. You let me kick you out, accuse you of stealing Theo; and you remained quiet through the whole thing. You took everything that I dished out." She was crying harder now.  
"Astoria I don't deserve your forgiveness but if you could find it somewhere in your heart to forgive me; that would mean the world to me. I love Astoria, you're my sister and I love you very, very much. I'm so sorry"  
She was drowning now and I couldn't help but just stare at her. Even through the waterfall of tears streaming down her face; she looked just as beautiful.  
She was wearing her light purple dress robes; her blonde hair was partially pulled back into an elegant up do.

I was still just staring at her. "What" I ask her, not really believing those three words came out of her mouth.  
My father was the only member of my family that had ever said that they loved me; nor have I ever told them I loved them, except for my father. I would like to believe that mother told me those words when I was really little; but since I can't remember, those words mean never came out of her mouth, Daphne's either.  
"I love you Astoria" she tells me once again.  
I stepped towards her and wrapped my arms around her; she began to cry on my shoulder as she put her arms around me.  
"I love you too, Daphne" I tell her; it was an odd feeling because I really meant it.  
I mean sure she was an annoying little bitch but still she could be the only person in my family who has ever shown me slight kindness at any point in my life; excluding my father of course.  
"I'm so sorry Astoria" she said through sobs.  
"It's okay" I tell her, soothing her hair, "I forgive you."  
The two of us just stood there for a moment holding each other. I pulled away and looked at her and gave her a small smile.  
"Now, this is your party" I tell her as I wipe the tears off her face.  
"This is your day, okay? I'm here for you and Theo, and I want you to be happy. So go clean your face and put a smile on. You look beautiful" I tell her.

She smiles and nods, "I told Pansy to play nice, she gave up Draco and I know you've liked him for a long time. Enjoy the evening with him Astoria, you deserve it. I know you hate mother, and I'm glad you're putting up with her for me and Theo."  
I nod, "Yeah, I told mother to stay away from me, that way I can guarantee a nonviolent evening. I want everything to be perfect and amazing for you. And thanks, I hope Draco and I have a really good time tonight."  
Daphne smiled at me, nodding before hugging me once more.  
"You should get ready too" She tells me before walking out the door.

I pulled my dress robes out of my bag and slid into them. I straightened my hair, putting long wide curls all the way down. I parted my hair line so most of it would fall to the side and hang over one shoulder. I put in some bobby pins to keep the curls over and intact; they looped together beautifully. A small portion laid down my back and was smoothed over behind my ear leaving my face open; as well as my neckline. I put on my make-up and then put on a diamond necklace and studs in my ears. My robes were pretty amazing; thin straps fell down in a sweetheart neckline and fit tightly to my frame and curves. It fell to the floor and had a beautiful train.

After putting on my flats, I stood in front of the mirror. I looked beautiful; at least I thought I was. My eyes were bright; the green from my dress made them stand out. I heard a knock on the door.  
"Come in" I say and my mother, wearing dark sapphire dress robes; her hair in tight curls down her back, walked into the room.  
Daphne followed closely behind her; she was cleaned up and smiling; she looked stunning.  
I turned and looked at both of them.

"Astoria" my mother says looking at me with a shocking expression.  
"You look…um…very pretty" she tells me. I knew that was difficult for her to say and I kept my face tight.  
I will be polite, no point in starting this evening off on a bad note.  
"Thank you" I say stiffly.  
Daphne grinned at me and gave me thumbs up, mouthing 'totally hot!'

"I see you took my advice…slightly. I thought I told you to go for Draco after the party, the Parkinson's…"  
"Mother" Daphne says softly looking at her.  
"The Parkinson's are big boys' and girls' mother, they can handle themselves. And if you must know, Draco was the one that asked me to the dance."  
She swallowed hard and pulled her head back up high before smiling, "Well, Draco is here, would you like me to send him up?" My mother asked.  
I nodded, "Yes you may" I tell her; she walked back out of my room.  
Daphne came over to me, "You look gorgeous Tor. And I'm not just saying that because I still feel awful about what I did."  
"Thanks Daph" I say smiling at her.  
"You really are beautiful Astoria" she tells me. I just smile at her.  
"I also wanted to ask you something…would you be my maid of honor at the wedding" she asked.  
I grinned at her, "Of course I will." We both hug.

This is just too weird, the whole loving sister's thing!

"Thanks Tor" she says as we hear another knock.  
"You can come in" Daphne says and the door opens to reveal Draco who looked slightly confused at the fact that I was hugging my sister.  
"Oh Hi Draco. I'll just be off then" Daphne says smiling and walking out the door, giving me thumbs up.  
Draco turned and looked at me and I could see his eyes grow slightly as he looked me up and down.  
I grin and walk more towards him, "Appraising a lady is not very etiquette Mr. Malfoy."  
He laughs softly, "my apologies."  
I laughed this time, "I'm so sure, I'm totally kidding" I tell him.  
He grins, "I know." I smiled at him.  
He steps closer to me and my breathe catches.

Oh boy.

As he takes one more step towards me, our eyes locked. He grabs my hand and raises it to his lips, kissing it very lightly. I stifled a laugh, smiling at him.  
"You look beautiful" he tells me softly; his eyes completely glued to mine.  
I smile, "very charming Mr. Malfoy…"  
He cut me off, "Draco" he says rather quickly.  
I bit the inside of my lip; I nodded, "you look very handsome Draco."  
He looked more than handsome; his hair falling down his face, his facial structure was firm and captivating. He looked more than sexy in his dress robes. There was a look in his eyes I couldn't quit put my finger on. They were soft and twinkling, he looked happy; truly happy.  
"So are you and Daphne friends now?" he asked me.  
"Yeah she apologized; we had a nice heart to heart if that's what you like to call it. She's back on my good side…for now" I say watching him smile, I smile back. "That's good" he says nodding, his eyes still locked on me.  
He turns and looks at the door and then back towards me.  
He stands perfectly tall and offers me his arm, "Shall we?" he asks, a brow raised a slight grin on his face.  
I breathe in and out hard, swallowing hard.  
"Let's get this party started" I say taking his arm, he lets out a soft chuckle.


	24. Now I'll drink to that!

[ Today is my Birthday :o) sooooo I'm giving you a Semi Juicy Chapter. Enjoy!]

"There you are Astoria" my mother says walking over to Draco & I.  
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. How are you this evening?" she asks him. Wow, she is laying it on thick.  
"I'm very well Ms. Greengrass. Thank you" Draco says.

She gives him a small smile and then looks at me. I straighten my head and stare back at her. She turns after that and walks off toward what looked like Draco's mother. Draco laughs and I look over at him.  
"Yeah this is going to be an interesting evening" he tells me.  
I smile and laugh, "Defiantly."

After dinner was over, the dancing began. I had never been much for the old time pureblood waltz or slow dancing; I slightly dreaded this part of the evening. Luckily, our friends found us first, so dancing was put off for a little while. Ashley, Derrick, Jade, Kat, Blaise, a girl named Brittany (Blaise's date), Miles, Lorraine (He took my advice, I was so pleased, they looked happy!), Adrian, and Carl all piled around us.

"Were grabbing drinks" Derrick says kissing Ashley quickly before leaving, the rest of them following him to the refreshment table.  
"So how is the evening going?" Ashley asks me, her brows wiggling.  
I laughed at her, "It's good, he's been great; Pansy's been sending me death glares all evening. Daphne told her to play nice; I'm surprised she's listening."  
Jade rolled her eyes, "I thought she loved Henrick now; no need for death glares."  
Kat sighed, "She's jealous because Draco is here with you; we all know she doesn't like any of us so that would just make her…"  
"A jealous Bitch" I finish, smiling.  
Kat laughs and nods, "Precisely." We all laugh.

Draco stepped beside me, very close I might add; handing me a glass, a smile on his face.  
I smiled back and took it, "Thank you" I tell him.  
"You're welcome" he says nodding at me before we all turn our eyes to each other.  
We were standing in a small circle; we raised our glasses in the air.  
"To Daphne and Theo" Derrick says.  
"Cheers Cheers" I hear from several of them.  
"To our ladies" Blaise says looking around at all of us ladies before kissing Brittany on the cheek; she blushed.  
"Last but not least…too Astoria; hopefully you will make this an eventful evening before it's all over with" Ashley says winking at me.  
I just smile and laugh, along with the rest of them.  
"Don't forget Azkaban, let's pray nobody gets sent their tonight" Jade finishes.  
"Now I'll drink to that" I say tapping her glass.  
Everyone laughed and we all tapped glasses before downing the champagne.

My dread filled moment came at last. "I believe it's time for you & I to dance" Draco tells me. He offered me his hand; I took it instantly.  
Just because I didn't like this kind of dancing, doesn't mean I wouldn't do it with him.  
I followed Draco to the dance floor. He stopped and turned towards me just as a slow song started.

**Perfect timing!**

He slid one of his arms around my waist, pulling me close. I placed my arm around him, resting just below his neck; our other hands came together. I could feel my body temperature rise just being this close to him.  
"I may be really great at the club, but uh…yeah I kind of suck at slow dancing, just so you know" I tell him.  
He grins softly at me, "It's all in the leading."  
He had already begun moving us to the song and I laughed, "I see that." He laughs softly.

I glanced around us for a brief moment and saw Ashley and Derrick dancing. The same with Carl and Kat, they looked cute together. Jade and Adrian were dancing, as well as Blaise and Brittany. Miles and Lorraine looked perfect together. She was dressed in yellow dress robes, they looked beautiful against her dark skin tone; her hair was pulled up in a sleek bun. They looked radiant against one another.

I glanced back to Draco; he was looking to the side. I followed his gaze to Pug Face. She was about teen feet away from us dancing with Henrick. I honestly do not see what Draco, or any other human male for that matter, found so beautiful. Pansy was dressed in light pink dress robes with lace around the cuffs. Her brown hair was shorter; falling in tight ringlets around her pug face. She was average height, a little dumpy if you asked me. Why someone would look at her as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world…

**I HAD NO CLUE!**

I looked back at him, "You said this would be an interesting evening…do I still have to play nice" I ask him, looking over at Pansy.  
He follows my eyes and grins, looking back at me.  
I laugh softly, "I'm just kidding…slightly. I'll just poke you if she starts getting to you."  
Draco laughs; a very small smile on his lips.  
His eyes linger down, looking down at the ground.  
I stare at him with a soft face, "I am sorry though. It must be hard; seeing her here with him. It doesn't mean much coming from me but you're so much better, on any level, than him."  
His eyes found mine; they softened once more. A tense warm feeling coming off of them; he seemed touched by my words.  
"Thank you" he tells me softly.  
It was my turn to tense up; he pulled me closer to him, my stomach leapt to my throat.  
Our eyes were locked; I did not dare to blink. It was one of the moments, in fear, that if I did…he might disappear.

"Have I told you how stunning you look tonight" he tells me softly. I grinned at him, he was sweet.  
"I believe you used the term beautiful…stunning no" I tell him.  
He smiles bigger which again drew me into him.  
My face went soft as his eyes did the same; I was lost once more in them. You looked serious, his expression was pressing.  
"You are the only thing in the room that is able to draw my eyes away from her" he whispers to me softly.  
I held his gaze for a short second before letting my eyes drop; I could feel a blush heating my cheeks.  
I smiled though, "thank you" I tell him nodding lightly.  
A current swept through me as his fingers touched my chin; my stomach knotted as my eyes rose to his. He held my gaze effortlessly.  
"I like looking in your eyes" he says very softly. His hand extended around my neck as his hand wrapped itself around my face. I swallowed hard as another current shot through every part of my body. I felt stiff, he did not seem to notice; maybe he didn't care.  
"Their beautiful" he says even softer; I forgot just how charming he was.  
The knots, the surges; the tingling feeling I felt underneath his touch.  
It completely vanished now.

I could feel my face getting closer to his; I could see his leaning in. Our lips were only inches apart, our eyes perfectly locked on one another. The music changed to a faster, upbeat waltz, and our gaze still held. My lips parted, taking in a short soft breathe. I took in his lips and then looked back in his eyes, still glued to my own.  
"I will defiantly break some toes if we dance to this" I tell him softly.  
I tensed as I watched him swallow hard; a very soft grin fell on his lips.  
He pulled back much to my dismay; his arm still firmly around me. He glanced around us before his gaze locked on something; he looked back at me rather quickly.  
"Our mothers are chatting" he tells me.  
I breathe in hard as my face turned hard, "that calls for a drink."  
He laughs, "Couldn't agree more."  
His hand on my back, we leave the dance floor and walk toward the refreshment table. We got our drinks and joined our friends once more.


	25. Authors Note: I Fixed the Chapters!

I just wanted everyone to know that I fixed Chapter 23 and 24.  
I fixed the layout of 23; I guess it didn't save when I did it the first time.  
And I posted the wrong document file for 24…SOOOOO It's all fixed. Enjoy!

REVIEWS Please


	26. White Roses

"Well no one ended up in Azkaban" Draco tells me as we climb the stairs at the manor.  
"My mother looked like she was about to explode at the end there. She had some nerve trying to make me stay" I tell him now reaching my bedroom door.  
Draco laughed as I turned towards him, my back slightly up against the door.  
"So all in all, how was your evening" I ask, smiling at him.  
"Just as I expected, the pleasure was all mine" he tells me; a soft grin on his lips.

He lifts his hand up; I melt as a beautiful white rose appears in his hand. I stare at for a moment before taking it from him.  
I pressed it to my nose, it smelled fragrant.  
I looked up at him, "How did you know I love white roses?" I ask.  
He just smiles, "I have my sources." I laughed and look at it once more.  
"Plus I remember your father's funeral. Everyone laid down red roses except for you. Your white one laid right in the middle" he tells me.  
When he said the word funeral, I looked up instantly; I was still just…staring at him. I didn't know if I was more amazed or shocked that he remembered that moment, in such detail.

I nod lightly, smiling very small, "Father would give me white roses, for everything. I love them…they remind me of him."  
His face was soft, his lips held a small smile as well.  
"In that case" he says before waving his wand over my single rose. Now I was holding a full bouquet in my hands.  
I had to laugh, gawking at him which made him smile bigger.  
I look down at all of them, smiling and shaking my head, "thank you, you're sweet. I haven't been given white roses in so long."  
My eyes narrowed as I watched a smirk grow on his face.  
"Well then I'll make you a deal" he tells me, putting his hands in his pockets.  
My brow rose as I stared at him, "A deal?" I ask. He nods; that beautiful smirk still on his lips.  
"Come to dinner with me tomorrow night; If you do, I will see to it that you get more of these" he says lightly touching a rose pedal in the bouquet.  
I'm sure I looked tense, I was a statue. Draco Malfoy was asking me out…again?

Am I dead?

Possibly…

I'll go with it!

I swallowed hard, my lips parted slightly as I looked down at the roses in my hand once more.  
I laughed slightly before raising my eyes to his.  
"You don't have to bribe me with roses, I'd be honored" I tell him.  
He stifled a small laugh, a genuine smile on his lips, "Good. It's a date then; Good night, Astoria" he tells me.  
I took in short breathe as he leaned towards me; he bent down and kissed me softly on the cheek.  
I smile, "Good night Draco" I tell him softly. He pulls back and we both smile at each other.  
He started to back up, his eyes stayed on mine for a few more seconds before he turned and headed to his bedroom door.  
He grabbed his doorknob. "Draco…" I say, stopping him.  
He turns his head towards me, then his body, "Yeah" he asks.  
"Just because I don't need bribes doesn't mean I don't want more roses" I tell him.  
He laughs as I smile; I watch him nod at me.  
"Believe me, I defiantly see more white roses in your future" he tells me.  
My face melted, my heart warmed at the thought; all I could do was smile at him.  
"Goodnight Tor" he tells me before turning and going into his room.

My eyes fall slightly and I lean back on my door. The evening ran through my mind as memories swam to the surface; one's I knew I would treasure until the day I died. I found myself smiling before I turned and headed into my room. I changed out of my dress robes and washed my face. After brushing my teeth, I summoned a vase for my roses. I got them situated and filled it with water before placing it on my nightstand. I starred at them, smiling as I drifted off to a peaceful sleep.


	27. Authors Note!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I started a new story; another Romance/Drama for Astoria & Draco. It's called Destiny…if you love this story you will love Destiny. This one has a lot more music but also A LOT more Drama! So check it out and tell me what you think about it!

The next chapter of Dancing in the Rain is coming up!


	28. Dreams do Come True!

I woke up to a rather gawking sight, no joke!

Around my room, as well as on top of my piano, were vases of beautiful white roses; about ten at least including the one from last night. I sat up slowly, looking around; my eyes trailed from left to right taking in every vase. My eyes were wide, the smile on my face reached from ear to ear. My room smelled…beyond fragrant; if I didn't know any better I would have thought I fell asleep in a garden.

Draco ran through my mind and I couldn't help but laugh. I blushed as just the thought as the memories of last night ran through my mind now. I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. I leaned my head down, a smile still on my lips. I can't believe he did this…for me.

He was more charming than I could have ever imagined.  
Tonight I was going out to dinner with Draco.

I was going on a date, yeah wow.

I was pretty excited, but calmer than I thought I would be. I had wanted Draco for a long time, it seemed simpler right now.  
"Astoria!" I hear Ash's voice from outside my bedroom door.  
"Can we come in?" I hear Jade.  
"When do you ask?" I say narrowing my brows. They laugh and come on in.  
Ash ran in and threw her arms around me and I went back on my bed.  
"You're going out with Draco" she says grinning. "I knew this would happen, I told you" she adds.  
"He looks happy about it, he looked smitten at breakfast. They all went outside to play Quidditch" Jade says.  
I waited for it and I laughed as their expressions turned in awe.  
They finally looked around and noticed all the roses.  
"Oh my god" Ashley says slowly, getting up and wal  
king around looking at them all.  
"Tell me about it" I say getting up from my bed too.  
"Where did all these come from" Jade asks smelling some, smiling.  
"Draco" Ashley and I say.  
Jade gawked, "You lie."  
"Never" I say smiling at her. She shakes her head, extreme surprise on her face.  
"Awww he asked me if white roses were your favorite and I told him they were….Awww he gave you like ten dozen roses Tor!" Ash tells me clapping slightly.  
I roll my eyes but grin, "There beautiful. He kept his word though; he told me last night that I would defiantly be getting white roses."  
After much giggling and girl talk, I got dressed and we all went downstairs for some breakfast.

I sat in front of the mirror, fixing my hair. I pulled a few strands back and tied them in a braid, the rest of my hair falling around my shoulders and down my back in large curls. I wore jeans and brown boots, along with a dark red off shoulder sweater, a black tank top underneath. I had my Chanel tote which went good with my dark hair and brown boots. I wore a diamond necklace and studs in my ears.

The door opened to my room.

"Can I come in?" Miles asked.  
"Of course" I say. I was standing there, my purse on the bed.  
"Wow. I heard you had a hot date tonight. You look very nice" he tells me.  
"Thanks" I say crossing my arms and walking closer to him.  
"So you and Lorraine?" I ask my brow raising.  
He blushed slightly but a wide grin stayed on his face, "She's amazing, I had a great time with her. We have another date tomorrow" he beams at me.  
I smile and clap, "Yay. I'm excited for you."  
He smiles and nod, "So you and Draco, who would have thought."  
I laugh slightly, "Uh you, and probably everyone else." He laughs.  
I smile though, "It's just dinner, I'm not pressing."  
Miles looked around my room, all the flowers.  
"White roses, he's working his charm….Is it working?" he asks, a sly grin on his face.  
I look around at all of them and then smile back at him, "Maybe" I say, us both laughing softly.  
"I'm glad you're happy and I'm glad he's happy. Getting over Pansy is the best thing he can do for himself, that girl was….something" he says shaking his head as if to clear a bad image.  
"Yeah I'll go with that too" I say turning and grabbing my bag off the bed.  
"Alright, we'll have fun tonight. I'll talk to you tomorrow" he says giving me a quick hug.  
"Okay" I say hugging him back.  
Draco was meeting me in the parlor.

Draco was standing down there wearing denim jeans and shoes, along with a white long sleeved shirt. He wore a black jacket, his posture strong and muscular. His hands were in his pockets, looking completely at ease, I grinned slightly.

He looked Hot. Crazy Hot. Sexy.  
Yeah you get the point

Not only that but his hair was hanging down the way I liked it and his face was tense and strong, his muscles tight along his jaw and cheekbones. He was truly handsome in every way. I caught his eyes as I got halfway down the stairs and he smirked. I jumped the last three steps like always and he laughed softly.

I smile and walk up to him, "Hey, I'm loving the jeans" I tell him grinning.  
He laughs, "I figured if you can make them look hot, then I can too." I laugh and smile at him.  
He grabs my hand and lifts it once more to his lips, kissing it softly.  
As he did this, a white rose appeared in my hands. I laughed and smiled at him.  
"You look stunning" he tells me, appraising me quickly with his eyes. I shake my head lightly but smile at him.  
"Thank you, you look very handsome. I think I owe you like ten thank yous. Waking up in a room filled with white roses" I say laughing softly.  
"I was speechless" I tell him softly our eyes locked, "That made my day, truly. Thank you. I promise to keep them alive for as long as possible."  
He laughs, "No worries, I can just keep giving you fresh ones."

I blush slightly and look down, bringing the single white rose to my nose; I smiled once again. He waved his wand across the rose in my hand; it disappeared. He tucked his wand in his jacket before entwining his hand with mine; a tingly feeling shooting up my arm as he brought them both down to our side. I smiled and looked up into his eyes.  
"Are you ready?" he asks me.

His eyes were so light, it seemed too easy.  
He truly had no idea…I'd been ready for so long.

I simply nodded, smiling at him, "Yeah I'm ready."


	29. One can Only Imagine

We headed outside, standing by the lamp post.  
"I think it'll be faster if we apparate" he tells me.  
I breathe in lightly, nodding, "Yeah…where are we going?" I ask.  
He smirks, "It's a surprise." I smiled, laughing softly; I nodded.  
Our entwined hands pulled up slightly; I tensed as he pulled me closer, his arm going around me.  
As our eyes locked, we apparated.

We appeared in Diagon Alley, on the other side of London. Keeping my hand in his, we strolled up the street to the restaurant Draco was taking me too. I gawked slightly before smiling, taking in the restaurant behind him. I laughed slightly which caught his attention.

"What?" he asked.  
"I love this place, it's awesome" I tell him, wondering if Ashley or Jade helped with this too.  
He grins, "Quicksilver is the best, I love it here so I figured you would too."  
I smile, "You definitely scored points, I'm impressed. I usually have to drag Kat or Ashley in here. Jade is the only one that will come here and eat Sushi with me" I tell him.  
"Sushi Kuruk was my favorite restaurant in Hogsmeade" he tells me.  
I gawk, "Really, I could live off that place. Jade and I had our own booth and everything." He smiled and laughed slightly.

We headed into the bistro and were lead to the table Draco booked for us. I loved the tables in here, especially at night. It was candle lit with mini chandelier's hanging above them; it was cute and comfortable. As we sat down and got situated, we began browsing the menu.

"Would you like to share some wine. The Elderflower is really good" Draco asks me.  
I smile at him, laughing slightly.  
He gave me that smirk again. "What?" he asks.  
I shake my head, "You keep naming my favorites, that's all. Elderflower is amazing, Nehi is too."  
His lips curl into a sweet smile, "What flavor?" he asked me.  
I smile, "You tell me, apparently we share in similarities."  
He chuckles softly, "I like tropical…."  
I laugh softly, "So let me guess, uh….Mawi. That's my favorite, I love pineapple and peach."  
He laughs and sits back comfortably, "Your right this is strange."  
I let my eyes drop, a smile still on my face. We decided on the Elderflower wine.

"Are we ready to order?" the waiter asks us.  
Draco looks at me, "Are you ready?" he asks me. I smile and nod at him.  
He ordered veggie and spicy California rolls. I narrowed my eyes at him and he did the same as he noticed my expression.  
I breathe in slightly and smile before looking at the waiter, "Uh, I'll have the same" I say handing him my menu.  
He nodded and apparated away. I let my eyes fall down slightly, a smile on my lips.  
I looked up at him and his eyes were already locked on me.  
"So we agree on the restaurant, the wine, Mawi is our favorite Nehi, and now it seems that we share the same interest in sushi" Draco states looking surprised still, a small smile behind his lips.  
I smile at him, "Are you impressed because I'm definitely impressed" I say watching him laugh.  
"It makes me curious to know what else we have in common" he asks leaning more on the table.  
I bit my lip slightly, nodding, "One can only imagine." He grins.

As we waited for our meal to arrive; we sipped on our glasses of wine and talked about...everything. I kept quite while listening to his stories; his memories of Hogwarts to working at the ministry. I really didn't want to go down memory lane; he knew my past and my mother, Daphne.

Not a lot of happy things to talk about there.

He grinned, "I know you hate your mother; and I know Daphne isn't winning the best sister award."  
I laugh softly, "Keep going" I tell him. He laughs softly.  
His face grew calm, his eyes soft once more.  
"Tell me about your father. I never truly told you my condolences; he was really a great man, my father took his death hard, many people did. I see now you took it the hardest" he tells me.

I stared at him for a few moments, my lips parted slightly; I swallowed hard.

"He was the most selfless person I've ever known. He was loving, caring, and strong. He played many roles, a mother and a father; but he was also my best friend. I fell in love with the piano because of him, it was our world; our own language, it's something we could always share. Were alike in many ways; looks, values, passions. With everything that's happened; I couldn't have picked a better man to be my father. He was the best, he tucked me in at night; he always told me he loved me. I wouldn't change anything, if it meant losing him; I'd do it all over again. Mother has and will always hate me, I accepted that a long time ago; Daphne will always be her favorite. My father gave me the greatest gift anyone can give someone; he believed in me. Through all my faults, he never tried changing me. He loved me for me…"  
We were simply staring at each other now.  
"I miss him" I tell him softly.  
He looked hurt; you could see the sadness in his eyes, I was touched by it.  
"I can still picture him, at my graduation. We had always talked about it; a stepping stone towards my career in music. Mother didn't come…which was totally awesome" I tell him.  
He manages a small chuckle.  
I smiled bigger, "Daphne was there but I hardly saw her; when I got home my mother kicked me out of the manor, she disowned me."  
My eyes fell slightly as I let that memory surface; Draco was still and focused, like stone.

"That was one of the best days of my life" I whisper.  
I laughed slightly, smiling at just how true that was.

After a few seconds I raised my eyes to his.  
"After father died, I found out he left me a large sum of money. Daphne didn't know about it, neither does my mother; Daphne begged me to move in with her, as you know I gave in. Till this day they have no clue that I have all that money, I plan on keeping it that way" I tell him.  
He laughs, "I would rub it in their face" he says, taking a drink of his wine.  
I smile, laughing at the thought, "I would love to do that; one of these days I probably will. It comes down to Daphne…" I let my eyes fall slightly; I watched as Draco's posture changed, he looked curious once more.  
"I may hate her half the time; it doesn't change the fact that she's my sister. If I told her about the money it would just be another argument; how unfair it is or why she didn't get her share…"  
I shake my head at the thought, "The entire Greengrass will be hers when mother dies, which I hope is soon…" I smile as he laughs.  
"Daph has Theo, everything will be perfect for her. I will have my new home, my music, my friends; the people I do call family. All in all we both win" I tell him.

He looked in thought for a second before a smile appeared on his lips; a genuine smile, "You have this feisty attitude, yet the most surreal sense of humor I have ever seen in a woman."  
I smile at that; Draco's eyes became warm, his face melted into a mesmerizing expression. I knew then I couldn't pull my eyes away.  
"You're this beautiful, caring, strong person. You're pure and selfless, in many ways you are like your father" he tells me.  
I was speechless; all I could do was stare at him.  
"Thank you" I whisper to him.

Our moment was interrupted by our food arriving; I was thankful. My stomach was in knots, I'm sure you could cut the air around us with a knife. Draco thanked the waiter before smiling at me, "I would share mine but seeing as how you copied me" he says smirking at me.  
I laugh softly, "I did not copy you. I love veggie sushi; spicy is my favorite, it's the only kind I'll eat." He grins at me and begins eating.  
I smile, laughing once more and do the same.

"So" Draco says, the conversation taking off once more. It was a bouncing back and forth questionnaire, covering everything you could possibly think off. We talked about our favorites; foods, hobbies, colors, music and movies. He liked to read which surprised me; we shared a similar interest in a few authors. It was then I realized that it was easy talking to him; I was honored he wanted to know so much, even the small things.

* * *

Draco was intrigued by Astoria's answers, they shared many favorites; their clashes amusing. He has never seen a more carefree spirit before; she was pure and innocent in so many ways. There attitude's matched, he expected nothing less being that they both were true Slytherins. She was different from Pansy, very different. She would only settle for high class, the top pureblood standards. He usually came to this bistro with Derrick, Miles, or Blaise; away from Pansy or his parents. This was refreshing, this was new; he could relax and enjoy himself. No more worrying about posture or conversation, it came naturally with Astoria; the last few weeks alone proved it. He couldn't help but fall for her, little by little. From the pool to her amazing tumbling skills; to her kind and caring words. Her smile was beautiful, her laugh childlike. He thought it would take a long time to feel happy again; to smile again. Her music haunted his dreams; he found it hard thinking about Pansy when Astoria was always on his mind.

He couldn't deny it, not anymore.

He fought with himself in the beginning; but now... he didn't have the strength anymore. In all honesty, he didn't want to fight it anymore. Everything he felt and shared with Pansy, it was nothing compared to Astoria. He would never admit it, not too anyone; he was nervous asking her out. He wasn't sure if she would say yes; but when she did, he felt…truly happy. He couldn't understand her mother, Astoria was more than beautiful. Her paleness matched his own; her eyes stood out along with her chocolate locks. Her tone and body language was fascinating, she carried herself a certain way that was more than intriguing. Her music was mesmerizing; the most beautiful compositions he had ever heard. He never imagined it could be this easy, to be with someone; but with Astoria it was, as if it was merely breathing.

* * *

We talked about our Hogwarts years, discussing our favorite subjects and teachers. He told me stories that had me laughing about Daphne. Our conversation led into the house I was having built; what my idea's where, what I wanted it to look like. I wanted it somewhere away from people; I like my own little space. Somewhere in the woods would be nice; I wanted glass walls, the acoustics would be incredible. Jade found the perfect spot; a long line of woods outlined Godric's Hollow. Derrick believes I could purchase land; having my home built on the hill, right in the trees. I could see the entire village from there, it sounded incredible. Not only that, but Hollow Cemetery was located there; I would be close to father. It seemed perfect; I just hoped we could pull it off.

We talked about Quidditch, he teased me about being a Bats fan; he was all for the Falcons. I did blush when he congratulated me on my bet with Blaise, he was impressed. After about an hour or so of talking and eating, our plates were cleared away. We had a few more glasses of wine; sharing some Chocolate Gateau for dessert which was amazing. This brought on talk about when we were kids, favorite ice cream flavors and sweet shops. I was completely charmed by Draco; he was polite yet he held that Slytherin attitude that I loved. He was attentive and tense; he didn't withhold anything about himself. Why would he though? We both grew up in pureblood society; both having strict families and rules. We both went to the same school, same house; same life changing war. I was sure to bore him with my stories and answers; it seemed to be just the opposite. He was a great listener, after every question came another; he seemed anxious to absorb as much as possible.

We finished the dessert, along with our wine.  
Draco paid the bill for the evening before thanking the waiter.  
I breathed in and out heavy, I was full!

His eyes found mine, we smiled at each other.  
"Are you ready to go" he asked me. A lump grew in my throat; I didn't want this to end.  
I swallowed hard, "From here…yes" I tell him.  
His face turned soft, but only for a few seconds.  
His lips formed a small smile, "Don't worry I'm not ready to take you home just yet" he tells me.  
I smiled, looking down slightly at my lap; I looked back up when he rose to his feet.  
He pulled on his jacket in one swift move before holding his hand out.  
"The night's still young" he tells me.  
I smiled lightly, grabbing my jacket from behind me; I stood up and put mine on as well.  
As I grabbed my purse, I stepped closer to him; our fingers entwining once more.  
Our eyes locked. "Lead the way" I tell him.  
He smirks which makes me smile; he turns and we both make our way out of the restaurant.

* * *

**[[ :) What will happen now...as Draco said...the night is still young! I know i know, I'm sorry...I didn't want to give it all away in one chapter! The next one will be steamy! I promise :o) REVIEWS PLEASE ]]**


	30. Ashley Called It!

Diagon Alley was beautiful a night time; every lamp post was lite up, as well as the shop windows. It looked truly magical.

Draco turned towards me which drew my attention back to him.  
"You wanna take a walk with me, the park not's to far from here. Maybe grab some hot chocolate?" he asked.  
I was surprised; he didn't strike me as a guy who was up for walks in the park. I couldn't help but find that romantic.  
I smiled, "I'd love to." He grinned, my arm tingly once more as he squeezed my hand lightly.  
We turned and headed off towards the direction of the park.

'Laffy Sassy' was an amazing café; they made the best drinks, from cappuccinos to lattes all the way to smoothies & milkshakes.  
Draco stood close to me, ordering us both large hot chocolates.  
"Extra whip cream" he tells the girl giving me a wink; I laugh, smiling at him.  
"Thank you" we both say as she hands us our drinks.  
He opened the door for me and we both walked out into the street.  
He took my hand once more and we both started walking towards the park; he was right, it wasn't far.  
As we rounded the corner, you could see it. A large fountain sat in the middle; the landscape decorated in large trees and beautiful gardens. Even in the dark, you could see all the flowers; they shined. There weren't many people out, which I was thankful for. I smiled when my eyes fell upon a small group of people; standing under a red canopy on other side of the park. One was playing the violin, another sitting on a stool playing an acoustic. The tall man behind the two was sitting as well, although you couldn't really see with the large cello sitting in front of him. They were playing a soft, beautiful melody; it went well with the scenery.

Draco and I walked at a good pace before he striked up another conversation.  
"So is there anything off the top of your head that I don't know about you?" he asks.  
I bit my lip, thinking, "Hmm, just simple things I guess" I tell him.  
He laughs, "What might those simple things be" he asks.  
I look over at him smiling, "Okay, um...I...love black and white photography. I love anything that has to do with stars; that's why I loved watching the meteor shower."  
He laughs, "I remember lying out in the Quidditch pitch with Blaise, Derrick, and Theo; we would talk and cloud watch."  
I smile, "It's peaceful, it's those moments I realize I can actually breathe; be happy. Especially when I was younger, my dad would lay out with me too, usually in the hammock" I tell him; he smiled.  
He's laid in that hammock a few times; Daphne and the rest of her friends would pile in it when they were over.  
"Anything else?" he asks me, taking a sip of his drink.  
"Hmm" I say glancing at the fountain; my eyes traveling the park once more.  
"I don't know…I'll have to think about it" I tell him.

It was in that moment, I realized the music stopped. I glanced over at the group; they were packing it in for the evening. Draco noticed my stare and followed it; as the group walked inside the door that was behind them, we heard another soft tone start to play. You could hear it from all over the park; I smiled, I knew the song. I heard Draco laugh which brought my eyes back to him. He turned and faced me, a grin on his lips.  
"What?" I ask.  
He swallowed lightly before walking a few feet away, tossing his hot chocolate in the trash.  
He walked back over, a smile still on his lips, "I'll take that those" he tells me.  
He takes my hot chocolate, my purse as well; he places on the bench not too far from us.  
He walked towards me; his grin going wider, my curious expression must have been amusing.  
Our eyes were locked, as we stood there staring at each other; my face melted with his own.

**_Fine me here & Speak to me._**

His fingers touched the tip of mine at our sides, I breathed in softly as they entwined once more.  
"Dance with me?" he asks softly.

**_I want to feel you, I need to hear you._**

I just stared at him, "right now…here" I ask, surprised.

**_You are the light…That's leading me_**

He nodded, "right now."

**To the place, where I find peace…**

He pulled our entwined hands up; I nodded as his arm went around me.

**Again**

He moved us on que, the music picking up louder. I would have laughed, smiled, something; instead all I could do was stare. This was another moment I believed too good to the true. We danced slowly; I absorbed the lyrics as I melted in his arms.

**You are the strength that keeps me walking.  
You are the hope that keeps me trusting.  
You are the light to my soul.  
You are my purpose.  
You're everything.**

**And how can I stand here with you & not be moved by you?  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?**

I breathed in softly, "We probably look crazy dancing in the middle of a park."  
He laughed, his arm situating itself behind my back; he pulled me closer which I didn't think was possible.  
"Something tells me you don't mind" he says.  
I laugh now, "Not at all" I tell him. He smirks.

**You calm the storms and you give me rest.  
You hold me in your hands.  
You won't let me fold.  
You steal my heart and you take my breath away.  
Would you take me in?  
Take me deeper now. **

**And how can I stand here with you & not be moved by you?  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?**

He held my hand up, spinning me in place; I bit my lip, laughing slightly as he pulled me back.  
He grinned, "It was that or a dip" he tells me.  
I laugh, "Yeah I don't think this song really goes with a dip."  
He laughed, "I agree." We both laughed softly; I let my head drop, that's when I felt it.  
A wetness, something very small hit the top of my head; I thought I was just imaging it, I brushed it off. After a few seconds, I felt another drip; this time it landed on my arm.  
I looked back up at Draco, his eyes were narrowed slightly; his face titled back as mine did, our eyes locked on the sky.  
"Am I being paranoid or did you feel raindrops too?" I ask.  
He grinned, my eyes catching his as his head leans forward once more, "I think so" he tells me.  
I felt another drop, then another; this time dripping down my cheek.  
I laughed, putting my face down before looking back up at the sky; you wouldn't think there were rain clouds.  
"I just thought of something…I love thunderstorms" I tell him now tilting my head down; his eyes already on me.  
He grins, that's the last thing I saw.  
Our ears were filled with the loud sound of thunder, his eyes went wide as the rain came pouring down; I simply gawked.  
I closed my eyes as my hair, my clothes, everything became heavy; I was drenched in seconds.  
I opened up my eyes and smiled; Draco was grinning from ear to ear.  
He took my hand, spinning me two or three times.  
I laughed as his arm went around me, pulling me close once more, we smiled at each other.  
"Did I mention how much I love dancing in the rain?" I say.  
He grins, now moving us like we were before, "that doesn't surprise me" he says.  
I smile and laugh softly, "Seriously, what girl doesn't like being in the rain, it's amazing."  
We stopped moving, his hand resting on my side.  
"Your sister, Pansy…" he started.  
I cut him off laughing, "Yeah well most dogs don't like to get wet."  
He smiled, putting his head down for a second before looking back up at me, "And your sister?" he asked.

I laughed once more, "My sister…hmm…my sister never liked the rain, mother would not approve her getting dirty. We wouldn't want to disappoint mother now would we" I tell him, letting my head fall slightly.  
Our hands were still entwined; I felt his thumb brush my skin softly, it was soothing.  
He gently squeezed it as he stepped slightly closer to me.  
I lifted my eyes to his, they were soft once more.  
"Thank you" he tells me softly.  
I narrow my eyes, "For what?" I ask.  
"Everything" he tells me.

Oh I'm in trouble…

The rain was still coming down, a light drizzle; his hand rose to my face, softly caressing my cheek with his fingers.

Correction...I'm in BIG Trouble…

My stomach grew tight; my breathe caught as our eyes remained locked. I swallowed hard as his fingers extended out, his hand holding the side of my face. My eyes glanced down at his lips; his face moving towards mine. I soon found his eyes once more; they were locked to mine as he continued to move closer. We were merely inches from each other; thunder struck loud once more, I jumped slightly. I let my head fall, my eyes closed as his soft laughter filled my ears. His arm pulled back from my side, I watched as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Damn he looked sexier wet; I didn't think that was possible!

It was then that I remembered my purse; I turned and looked at the bench.  
Yup it was drenched, so much for hot chocolate.  
I pulled my wand out of my jacket and apparated my purse home.  
I then tucked it back in my jacket before looking back at Draco.  
I grinned, "Let's have some fun" I tell him. He grinned slightly, his eyes narrowed in curiosity.  
I grabbed his hand, pulling him with me as I made my way closer to the fountain.  
The creases in the foundation made some pretty big puddles; I let go off his hand and jumped in one.  
I heard him laugh; I looked back at him and smiled, slinging a good bit with my leg at him.  
"Oh you wanna play, is that it?" he asks, smirking at me.  
I bit my lip, nodding; I laughed at his playful expression.  
I scream as he slung water on my face; we both laughed.  
I slung more on him after that, we did this for a few minutes before I hopped up on the cement that lined the fountain.  
"Ha! The biggest one of all" I say before jumping right in; it was only knee deep but it made a good splash.  
The water was shooting up, the lights shining up from the bottom; the rain made it all even more incredible.  
Draco was standing up on the concrete as well, I swooped up some water; which was FREAKING cold and threw it on him.  
"Oh shit…that's cold" he says laughing; I smile and laughed along with him.  
He jumps down in the water and throws some on me.  
I shrieked, "Oh gosh…" I say smiling; he got my neck and face, damn that is cold!  
Draco laughs, throwing more on me, "I surrender" I say now turning and walking fast through the fountain, away from him.  
"You surrender" he says following me, an obvious smirk on his face.  
"Yes! Yes I surrender!" I tell him one last time.  
His arms wrapped around me; I shrieked slightly, smiling as he slung me around a few times.  
He sat me down, I turned and faced him; both of us smiling at one another.  
I look down at my clothes, my hair hanging over my shoulders. "I'm wet" I say, laughing softly.  
"And I win since you surrendered" he states, smiling still.  
I glare but laugh it off smiling at him, "Yeah Yeah" I say looking down at the water.

Draco raised his hand up to my face; to my surprise, he brushed his fingers through my hair. As I raised my eyes to him; his hand cupped the side of my face, his thumb brushing my wet cheek.  
"Now…before the thunder interrupted" he says softly, his other hand coming up; wrapping around my neck.  
"Are you sure?" I ask him softly, he looked confused now.  
I smile, "I know you just broke up with Pansy. I'm not pressing…I don't want you to do something that you'll regret later" I tell him.  
His face remained soft; he was in deep thought, you could see it in his eyes.  
"Like I said before, you're truly selfless" he says, still completely locked in my gaze.  
I smiled at him; as much as it killed me to say that…sure we'll go with selfless.

Draco swallowed hard, his finger brushing my face once more. He looked in thought, so I just kept my eyes soft; on his.  
I prayed he didn't regret his actions; the evening…everything, my heart tensed at the thought.  
"Do you remember that night, in your bedroom; I came to talk to you after Pansy & I broke up?" he asked.  
My lips parted, I nodded, "Yeah I remember."  
He nodded now, "do you remember what you told me?"  
I kept my face soft, "Yeah I do" I tell him.  
He nodded once more, his eyes locked on mine.  
He laughed slightly, his thoughts I guess amusing.

"I told you I loved Pansy; I told you I didn't know what I would do without her"  
He paused for a second, "I have never been more blind in my entire life" he says.  
My heart stopped, everything around me disappeared.  
His hand came up from my neck, now both holding my face; I tried my best to control my breathing.  
"If I regret anything, it's not ending my relationship with her sooner. I realize now that I was never in love with Pansy; I may have been in the beginning at one point, but not now. It wasn't love but mere convenience. It makes me wonder if I even know what love is" he tells me.  
My heart stopped; my head slightly dropping as I nodded at him, I could understand that slightly.  
"Then I think of you" he says softly, my eyes going back to his quickly; they were locked once more.  
I definitely wasn't breathing now; I was still as stone.

"For almost twenty years, I have sought this day; this moment. Looking back at it all, nothing has existed until I saw you. Then everything changed. I know…without any doubt in my mind…" He swallowed hard, "Every second spent with you…I fell more and more in love with you. And to think I no longer believed I could; I know the world is filled with billions of people…all I want is you" he tells me.  
My lips were parted and I was breathing heavy now; I was desperately trying to control the tears I felt rising in my eyes.  
"I'm truly happy with you & I love that. You told me there isn't love without risk; for you I'd risk it all" he tells me.  
My stomach was tightly knotted, I felt like I could explode.  
Do you wanna know the best thing about standing in the rain? No one can see you cry…I prayed that was true.  
Tears filled my eyes quicker than I thought it would; I hoped they would blend in with the rain, it was still falling.  
His expression told me my answer; he noticed the tears as his own eyes narrowed in curiosity.  
I closed my eyes, laughing it off, this was oddly embarrassing.  
"This may sound crazy…but um…" I say before opening my eyes to his, two tears falling down my face.  
His thumb's brush them away which brought more tears to the surface.

"You don't know how long I've waited for you" I tell him. It was as simple as that; the only truth.

His eyes traveled my face, his body stepping closer to mine; I didn't even think that was possible.  
"I'm sorry I waited for the rain" he tells me.  
I laugh softly, smiling slightly; I didn't even have time to prepare.  
His hand tightened on my face and I leaned my face back as our lips crashed together.  
I wrapped my arm around him, my other hand laid up against his chest scrunching his shirt with my fingers.  
I drowned in his kiss; I wasn't just saying that because it was raining, or the fact that we were still standing in the fountain.  
I tried memorizing everything; the way he tasted, the way he kissed me and held me so close.

* * *

Draco was doing the same in his own mind, memorizing her warmth; how her body fit perfectly within his, how soft her skin was, the texture of her lips. Everything was forgotten; the rain, the park, everything. All he felt, all he wanted was Astoria; the emotion that exploded inside him was nothing compared to what he felt with Pansy. This was different; he completely melted at the feeling. It felt good; it felt right holding her in his arms. He outlined her bottom lip with his tongue, tasting the rain. She didn't oblige; he engrossed her, his body jolted. He devoured her, pressing harder; he grew hungry just by her taste.

* * *

I felt him tremble slightly as I ran my fingers down his shirt. I could feel his muscles; they were tense and creased through his wet shirt. We broke off after a good minute; our forehead's leaning on each other. I kept my eyes closed; I let the tingly feeling of my lips sink in. His thumb continued to brush my face, I trembled this time.

We stood there for a few seconds; our hearts getting back to normal pace.  
"Were still standing in the middle of a fountain" he tells me. I laugh and nod against his forehead.  
"I see a cold, possibly the flu in our futures" I tell him. He laughs softly.  
I was shaking now, the wind was picking up.  
"You're shivering" he tells me, now pulling me closer as his arms wrap around me.  
"I'm wet, I feel like a Popsicle" I say, my teeth chattering against one another, he laughs softly.  
"Come on" he says pulling me by the hand.  
We hop out of the fountain, taking off towards the other side of the park.  
We stood by a bench, under one of the canopies.  
Draco took out his wand and waved it at both of us; we were perfectly dry.  
I felt slightly warmer but I was still freezing, the wind was blowing stronger now.  
Draco wrapped his arms around me once more; I buried my face in his chest.  
"Is that better" he asks.  
I nod, "A little yes."  
His lips were in my hair, he grinned, "Let's get you home" he says. I nod slowly.  
"Apparate" he asks, I nod fast which he laughs at.  
He grabs his wand and then pulls me back in his arms; we apparated home.

We landed in the parlor and I sighed, "It feels like heaven in here" I say, my arms still wrapped together.  
It was late; the manor was dimmed with a few lights on. We headed upstairs.  
"Oh I'm calling it, I'm falling deathly ill tomorrow" I say looking at him.  
He smiles very small, "Sorry…"  
I laugh and cut him off, "Don't be. I'll take whatever Mother Nature hands out. I told you I loved playing in the rain."  
His smile got a little bigger.  
"I'm tempted to go sit in the living room by the fireplace" I tell him.  
We were standing by my bedroom door, I was still slightly shaking.  
He smirked now, "I have a fireplace in my room, join me; that's if you're not tired…."  
I grab his hand and smile softly at him, "lead the way I'm cold."  
He laughs and turns, pulling me with him; he was the fourth door on the left.  
He opened his door and gestured me in with his hand. I smiled and walked in, he closed the door behind me.  
I looked around and smiled, "Oh no fair, you got the Slytherin Colors."  
He smirked, "I am the Slytherin God" he states.  
I grin at him, "Mhm."  
He laughs once more and pulls me to the lounge area in the far corner of the room.  
He pulls his wand out and waves it at the fire, it roared to life.  
He sat down and I did the same, my body turned towards him; I caught his eyes and he grinned.  
He reached forward and grabbed my arm, "Come here popsicle, your still shaking."  
I laugh slightly, letting him pull me towards him.  
He moved too where he was lying out on the couch; his arm came up, I fit perfectly in his hold.  
My head rested comfortably on his chest.

I tucked my feet in, resting my hand on his stomach.  
His free hand came up; his fingers caressed my own, making small circles on top.  
I smiled softly, it was soothing.  
"Is that better?" he asks, his head turning; he was looking down at my face.  
I nod, my eyes still on our hands.  
I tilt my head up until my eyes found his, "You would make a good heater" I tell him, he laughs softly.  
I watched as he glanced my face; taking in every detail.  
"Your lips are blue" he tells me.  
My eyes grew soft, I grinned, "that usually means their cold."  
His hand wrapped around my neck; I tensed once more.  
"I can fix that" he says softly.

He went to bend down but I didn't wait; I pressed myself up until our lips touched. I was completely lost once more. My hand wrapped around the side of his face, my fingers resting in his hair. I brushed his skin with my fingers; he breathed in heavy as our lips parted for a slight second. He leaned up from where he was lying, turning quickly; his lips pushed hard against mine, I went fully back on the couch. His arm went around me; keeping a firm grip on my back; I was pressed against him. I did the same with his neck, holding it firm; keeping his lips on mine. We broke away after a minute or two; our breathing heavy. His thumb ran down my cheek, then over my lips; I trembled.  
"Warm yet?" he asked, his breathing out of place. I bit my lip, my fingers caressing his face.  
I shake my head, "Not quite" I say.

I kiss him softly once more; he returns it passionately, a slight grin on his lips. I felt his tongue against my lips, I didn't hesitate. My head spun at his taste; he moaned slightly as we pulled back from each other.  
We kissed a few more times before we leaned back; I swallowed hard, licking my lips.  
"Toasty warm" I tell him, he laughs.  
"Good" he says before kissing me a few more times, soft and sweet.  
Our eyes locked as he pulled back, I smiled at him. His eyes were warm once more, his body tense.  
He moved over back to his spot; I leaned up as I slid back in his arms, resting on his chest once more.  
His lips kissed my forehead and I smiled. We talked for about half an hour or so, until he realized I was falling asleep.  
His finger ran down my face; I woke up a little bit then.  
"You're falling asleep" he tells me.  
"You're seeing things, I'm wide…" I yawned and turned my face into his chest, he laughs.  
"Awake" I finish, laughing slightly.  
He pulls up and wraps his arms under me; I went wide eyed as he lifted me up in his arms.  
"Ok I'm definitely wide awake" I tell him, he just grins and walks toward his door.  
"You don't have to carry me…again" I tell him as he opens the door.  
"No worries, I'm actually surprised, you're as light as a feather" he says smirking at me.  
I gawk and hit him playfully and he lets me down. He was laughing and I just grinned, shaking my head.  
"No goodnight kiss for you" I tell him turning to head to my bedroom.  
I laughed as he grabbed me around the waist; he spun me around, our lips crashed together once more.  
We broke off smiling, I laughed.  
"I was just kidding by the way" he tells me gently.  
I smile, "I know."  
His hand brushed my face, a grin on his lips, "I'll see you in the morning" he tells me.

Was it stupid to not want this to end…everything that happened? I mean I know he was mine & I was his…but still; it seemed to perfect. Maybe sleeping on it will make it more real; it'll sink in. I give him the best smile I could; I nodded. He held my face as we shared a few kisses.  
We shared a smile, "Goodnight" I tell him.  
He kisses my forehead, "Sweet Dreams" he tells me.  
With one last glance at each other, I turned and headed into my room.  
I changed into some dark green lounge pants and a long sleeved white shirt.  
I washed my face before brushing my hair & teeth.  
I smiled when I saw my bed; my pillow! I had to admit; playing the rain makes a girl tired.  
I lay down and get comfortable; my eyes finding the ceiling afterwards.  
I breathed in and out hard, grasping the events of the evening.

Draco Malfoy was mine…he cared for me and loved me. I guess I have to call it, Ashley was right all along; I smiled at that.  
I sighed once more; I thought the day he broke up with Pansy was the best day of my life.  
I was wrong; it was overdue but so worth the wait.

This was the best day of my life.


	31. Oh HELL! It's a Weasely!

I was awoken by loud banging; loud yelling coming from downstairs. I immediately jumped out of my bed and ran towards the door to see what the hell was going on.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" I hear Miles yelling.

WTF?

"Easy Bletchley, I'm an Auror" said a calm, somewhat familiar voice I couldn't place.

I heard a crash, Draco and Ash both bolted out of their rooms, moving fast down the hall.

"What the hell is going on" Ash asked, still looking half asleep.  
I shrug, looking towards the stairs. Draco walked in front us and ran downstairs, his wand out.  
I had my wand out as well, as did Ashley as we followed behind him; Ash and I watched from the top of the stairs.

"Stupefy!" yelled a man with ginger hair and Miles, who didn't have his wand, fell to the ground.  
I saw that Carl and Adrian were also on the ground unconscious, a tall black man standing over them.  
Draco slowly walked down the stairs, his wand pointed at the ginger haired man.

Oh hell, it's a Weasley!

"What are you doing here, Weasley?" Draco spat at him. He turned towards Draco, his wand pointed at him.  
"Ah Malfoy, What exactly are you doing here?" Ron asked coldly.  
"That's really none of your damn business" I say, Ashley and I walking down the stairs now.

I defiantly wasn't scared of Weasley, Auror or not; he was still a stupid Gryffindor.

Draco stopped me from walking; taking my hand in his, his eyes going from me back to Weasley.  
"We need to speak to Astoria Greengrass. We were told she was here" the black man says.  
"Congratulations you found me, now what the hell do you want? It better be good considering my friends are knocked out on the floor" I ask them slightly irritated.  
"Your friends attacked us…." the tall black man stated.  
I cut him off, "Doesn't really look good with three Aurors present, do you not know how to do your job properly?" I ask them.  
They all looked at each other and then glared back at me.  
"Why are you here?" Draco asked.  
"Remember to make it sound important, you woke me" I tell them.  
Weasley rolls his eyes, "We need to take you in for questioning, you're mother has been arrested; she's being held at the Ministry. We need you and your sister to clear some things up before we can determine if she needs to be sent to Azkaban."

I was wide eyed as he told me this.

"Wait" I say now going farther down the stairs, "Are you saying that MY mother has been arrested?" I ask.  
"Yes" the black man says.  
"And she's being held to be possibly taken to Azkaban" I state, making sure I heard this right.  
"Yes, you need to come with us to answer a few questions" Weasley stated.  
I turn and look at Ashley, who was right by me, Draco on my other side.  
"That is the best news ever" I tell her, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Excuse me?" All three Aurors said at once.  
I turn and look at Weasley, "Throw the damn book at her; I could give two shits less."  
They looked really confused now.  
"You mean you don't care if your own mother goes to Azkaban?" the third guy asked me.  
"I would throw a party" I state, Ashley laughed once more.  
"She doesn't like her mother" Draco states looking at them still, his hand in mine still.  
"Clearly" the black guy says.  
"You still need to come with us, your sister is already at the Ministry" Weasley says, sounding bored.  
I sigh, "Well as much as I can hate her too, I guess I'll come for her."  
"Come with us" Weasley steps forward quickly, trying to grab my arm; Draco pulls me back quickly, pointing his wand at him.  
"Stop treating her like a criminal, she can walk on her own" he growls at him, both of them glaring inches from each other.  
"I'm not going to hurt your little girlfriend; I just have some questions for her. Lower your wand and no one will get hurt" he tells us.  
"That would be intimidating from anyone but your Weasley" I state, getting a glare.  
"Call for backup Dean" Ron tells the black man.  
"We need to take these gits in too" he says pointing to Miles, Carl, and Adrian.  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you" I say as Ashley yelled, "No!"  
Ron narrowed his eyes at me, "And why not?"

I rolled my eyes, "Clearly you don't listen; three Aurors stunning three defenseless wizards, no wands on them. That's a restriction in itself and I don't think it will help if your office learned our history Weasley, it's clear Gryffindor's and Slytherins don't get along. Leave them here and I'll come with you."

"They attacked us" Dean growled at me.  
"And clearly you can't take the heat from a damn punch, grow up. You just entered into a house full of Slytherins. If I remember correctly, you're a Gryffindork just like Weasley here. Again…that doesn't look good. Now un stun them and let them go" I tell them both.  
They were glaring heavy, looking pissed; I was actually pleased with myself.  
Draco stood like stone, looking from Weasley to me.  
"Un stun them" Ron says, sounding agitated.  
"I guess you're not as stupid as I thought you were" I say turning and walking over to the guys.  
Dean lifted the spell and the boys stirred. Draco helped Miles up, and I helped Carl as Ashley pulled Adrian to his feet.  
"What the hell" Miles says glaring at the Aurors.  
"Shut up Miles, Tor just saved your ass" Ashley tells him.  
"Now Miss, will you please come with us" Dean asked, sounding agitated too. I sigh and turn to my friends.

"I'll be back" I tell Ashley who hugged me tightly.  
"You better be or were coming to look for you" she says glaring at the Aurors.  
"Thanks guys for trying to stand up for me" I say looking at them. They gave me quick hugs and then I was left looking at Draco.  
"I should come with you" he tells me.  
I shake my head, "I'll be fine. This shouldn't take long. I'm hoping I can see her drug off."

He laughed very softly; "Be careful, hurry back" he says glaring at the Aurors behind me. I simply nod.  
He leans forward and kisses me softly, I smile.  
I catch his eyes for a few seconds before turning back to the Aurors.  
"Lead the way" I tell them, crossing my arms.

Dean led me over to the fireplace and we stepped in together; I was whisked away to the Ministry of Magic.

**[[ THE DRAMA BEGINS :D ]]**


	32. You're Welcome!

I sat in a small office. It was still very early and most of the Ministry workers were just arriving.  
Dean was sitting at his desk looking over some paperwork.

"Morning Dean" said a voice coming from the doorway of the office.  
"Morning Ernie" Dean says.  
He stepped inside, "I need to see Ms. Greengrass." I stood up and followed Ernie outside.  
"Ms. Greengrass, I'm Ernie Macmillan" he says offering me his hand.  
I shook it quickly before crossing my arms once more.  
"Williamson just wants to ask you a few questions" he tells me.  
I sigh lightly, "lead the way" I tell him; I could hear my grumpiness coming to the surface, I hate being woken up early!

I followed Ernie down the hall; my eyes catching a familiar face sitting outside the office at the very end.  
"Astoria" Nott says standing to his feet; the door to the right of him opened, Daphne walked out.  
As her eyes found mine, she ran and threw her arms around me.  
"It's just awful Astoria" she tells me as she backs up a little, Theo put his arm around her.  
"Are you going to be questioned too?" Theo asked.  
I breathe in heavy, letting out hard, "Yes…I don't know why though. They know I hate her…" Daphne cut me off.  
"I know you do but please Tor, she's out mother. We can't send her off to Azkaban, father would not approve and you know that."  
I roll my eyes, "Yeah whatever" I simply say, cranky once more.  
Another auror appeared next to Daphne to escort her away, she looked at me hard.  
"Good luck" she tells me before walking away, Theo right beside her.

I entered into the office; an older man sat behind the desk. He was pale slightly, his long gray hair pulled back into a ponytail.  
"Astoria Greengrass" Ernie introduced me.  
"Thank you MacMillan" Williamson says. Ernie left the office, shutting the door behind him.  
Williamson pointed at the chair opposite his desk; I slightly rolled my eyes and sat down in the chair.  
"Now, Ms. Greengrass…"  
I cut him off, "Astoria please" I say.  
He nods slightly, "Astoria…we are just following up on a few leads. Early this morning a man was found carrying a very dangerous item into the Ministry; a cursed parchment. He was delivering it to the Minister of Magic."

I was shocked, who in the hell in their right mind would try murdering the Minister of Magic after everything that has happened.  
"The man was arrested of course; when we asked him where he got the parchment, well… he's named off a few people, where checking every possibility. He's been to a few gatherings in the past few months, including your mother's house; he's named her as a possibility" he tells me.  
I raise a brow at him, way to go mother!  
"Can you tell me us what you know about this?" he asks me.

I breathe in heavy through my nose, "Okay well…before you start asking a bunch of questions, I should save you some trouble. I don't know what my sister told you, about my mother & I. In all honesty, I hate my mother, with a passion. I could care less if you threw her in Azkaban and she died there" I simply say.

He looked shocked which didn't surprise me.

"My mother and I have never been close nor have we ever had a relationship together. I'm sure you remember my father; he was the only parent I've ever had. The Greengrass name is a very high priced pureblood name, as I'm sure you know; the estate speaks for itself. My mother saw fit to live up to that standard; there is no price. If you're high in ranks in the pureblood society; then you were on good terms with her."

He remained quit, looking slightly shocked still at my revelation about my oh so wonderful mother.

"If this guy claims that my mother was involved with getting this parchment, then he must be pureblood and from a well-known family to even get through the front door. My father wasn't a death eater, he didn't work for the Dark lord; as much as I wish I could sit here and tell you my mother did I can't. The only reason I'm doing this is for my sister because for some odd strange reason she loves our mother; it would kill her if she was sent to Azkaban."

"Do you believe that she would give or even help this man with a cursed parchment" he asked me.  
"It would help if I knew the name sir" I tell him sternly.  
He stares at me for a good minute, "Very well, even though I shouldn't really state it. It was Stephen Robertson."

My brow rose fast, "His wife is friends with my mother; they're invited to every party she throws, as well as others. There are hundreds of people in our house during those events; I would not be surprised if someone wandered off to get away, I do it all the time. We have an office, which belonged to my father. Of course the library as well. You do realize that he could just be making up excuses for his actions, covering his own ass. He might have got it from another manor...which I'm sure are the other names he gave you. As far as cursing the parchment, well..."

I swallowed hard, letting my eyes fall for a second before looking back at him.  
"There are so many scenarios to your situation and I could sway you to see it the way I want too. However, in all honesty for my father and sister…" I swallowed hard once more.  
"My mother is a delusional step ford wife for pureblood society. My father was always the one in the office, she hates that room; you couldn't pay her to step foot in it. I highly doubt she's behind the parchment & I doubt even more that she would have anything to do with cursing it. She doesn't have in her to curse anyone…with her wand anyways" I tell him.

He was silent, just staring at me; before long he pulled out a roll of parchment from his desk.  
I was guessing this was the one we were referring too.  
"Have you ever seen this before?" he asked me.  
"I've seen a ton of parchment sir, they all look the same rolled up" I tell him blankly.

He narrows his eyes at me. He breathes out heavy and unrolls it; clearly they managed to undo the curse. It looked old, the edges were crusted and tore; the ink slightly faded at the end. It looked like a form; a document of some kind that needed a signature.

"Have you ever seen this before? It appears to be a business form, something the Minister needed to sign off" Mr. Williamson tells me.  
I sigh, "I practically lived in our library, I know my father's office like the back of my hand. All his files are kept in there, categorized and sealed. My mother bound that room shut after he passed away; that alone proves that Mr. Robinson didn't get it from my family's manor."  
He breathes in heavy, "Do you know what this would have done to the minister if he had touched it?" he asked me.  
"Kill him sir, isn't that what he was trying to do" I tell him plainly once again.  
"If he had touched this parchment while it was cursed, his entire mind would have been consumed until there absolutely nothing left" he said, sounding slightly distraught at the thought.  
"So your pretty much dead" I state once again.  
"Your left wishing you were" he tells me.  
"Well believe me sir, if that parchment was in our house, I would have used it on my mother a LONG time ago" I tell him.  
His face darkens, "this is dark magic Astoria…" I cut him off.  
"And that woman is the devil in its truest form to me. I'm not that naive sir; I was speaking in a metaphor."  
He breathes in heavy, nodding.  
He stood up and led me to the door, "Very well, Astoria. That's all I need to know. If I get anything new, I'll be in touch. You seem more open than you sister as far as facts are concerned" he tells me.  
I nodded and walked outside the office; Miles, Carl, and Ashley were waiting for me.  
"What are you all doing here?" I ask reaching them.  
"We couldn't sit around the house" Miles says.  
"I couldn't even eat, we wanted to make sure you were okay" Ashley tells me.  
"Where are Draco and Adrian?" I ask them.  
"At the house, pacing; Derrick, Jade, Kat, and Lorraine are there also" Ashley says.  
"Are you alright?" Carl asks me.  
I nodded, "Yeah I'm fine."

Just then, Daphne and Theo walked back in the hallway.  
"I wanted to make sure everything went okay" Daph asks me.  
I was about to answer when another door opened from across the room and in stepped two Aurors, our mother standing with them.  
"Mother" Daphne says running over to her. I stood there, just looking at the both of them intensely.  
Mr. Williamson appeared next to me, "Ms. Leona Greengrass" he states firmly.  
My mother stood tall, her head held high; she looked like she had been crying.  
I breathe in heavy through my nose and let out slowly. I let my eyes fall to the ground and I waited for him to speak again.

"After talking with both of your daughters, especially Astoria; she's cleared up everything I need to know" he says sternly.  
I let my eyes come back up, my mother's eyes glaring right at me; she looked scared, I held back a smile.  
Daphne looked tense too; I wondered what was going through her head at the moment.  
I saw Mr. Williamson look over at me; however I kept my eyes on my mother and sister.  
He looked back at the two, breathing in hard.

"You are free to go" he tells her plainly.  
Daphne's eyes closed, she breathed out heavy; my mother's chest rose in relief.

Mr. Williamson nods his head and then leaves; as the Aurors unbounded mother, she wrapped her arms around Daphne.  
I turn and look at my friends, "let's go home."  
I give Theo a quick hug as he whispers thank you in my ear. I smile at him the best I could, nodding.  
I didn't realize Daphne was back over by us until her arms went around me once more, tightly I might add.

"Thank you" she says, tears streaming down her face.  
She pulls back and turn towards her smiling, "yeah well I did it for you" I remind her.  
She nods and smiles, "I know."

My mother walks up beside Daphne and places an arm around her shoulder.  
I turn and catch her stare.

"You're Welcome" I state before turning and leaving, the other's following behind me.

**[[ HaHa She was SO CLOSE! ]]**


	33. This should be Interesting

We all Floo'd back home in pairs, Carl and Miles going first; then Ashley and I.  
The room was full of pacing people; I let out a soft laugh to myself.

"Hey" Derrick says, being the first one to see Ash & I; he wrapped his arm around Ashley as he stood by her.  
"Is everything okay?" he asked looking at me. Miles stood with Lorraine, his arms around her; she looked worried.  
Draco was soon by me, "Are you alright?" he asks, his hand on my face softly.  
I breathe in deep and let out hard, "No" I say. I laugh softly and turn to head to the couch.  
Draco's hand comes down from my face and I grab his other hand, pulling him with me.  
I sat down on the couch and everyone else sat around us, Jade and Ashley sitting in front of me on the table.

"What happened?" Carl asked.  
"Did they arrest your mother?" Adrian asks.  
"Did you see her drug off?" Jade asks.  
I looked at her and pouted slightly, "No." Draco sighed and looked to the ground, shaking his head; he was grinning.  
Some of them looked confused, Ashley and Jade laughed.  
"What is so funny?" Adrian asked, his forehead creased.  
"Leave it to Tori to be disappointed at the fact that her Mother didn't go to Azkaban" Ashley stated, more sighs and laughs filled the room.  
We heard another pop and Blaise showed up.  
"Hey, I heard what happened, you alright Tori?" he asked taking a seat on the edge of the couch near Draco.  
"She was so close" I say now letting my head fall in my lap. Jade and Ashley snickered and petted my head.  
Kat sat on my other side; she laid her head on my back hugging me, "Aw Tori it's going to be okay. She'll die eventually."  
Everyone laughs then, even me.  
I rise up and look at her, "Is it today because that would make me feel so much better."  
A few of them rolled their eyes but grin; more laughs fill the room.  
Kat smiled, "No but I can promise it sometime in the future."  
I sigh, "That makes me nauseas." More laughs filled the room.  
"I'm just glad everyone is okay…how did Daphne handle it?" Lorraine asked me.  
I laughed slightly, "She begged me not to go in there and send mother to Azkaban. I could've lied through my teeth and had the best time ever…but no, I didn't. Theo was there too, Daphne wouldn't know what to do with herself if Mother was locked away. So…my mother's one way ticket to Azkaban is now demolished; it's a shame…truly."  
I groaned lightly, putting my head in my lap again.

Draco squeezed my hand as he laughed slightly with the rest of them.  
"Well I'm hungry and I believe I can finally eat" Carl says.  
"Yeah I'm hungry too" Miles says, Adrian nodding in agreement.

Lorraine walked with Miles, while Blaise hopped up, following behind them; Jade and Ash stood up, Kat also.  
I bring my head back up and stand, Draco doing the same. He puts his arm around me and kisses my forehead as I wrap my arms around him. "You sure you're okay?" he asks me, I breathe in slightly and nod.  
He kisses my hair, "Come on let's get something to eat" he tells me.  
I turn and follow the rest of them out of the room to the dining room, Draco's hand in mine.  
Carl had the door opened but then someone apparated in. We all turned around at the loud sound; there stood Daphne and Theo.

"Sorry for apparating in uninvited" Theo says quickly.  
"Mother is on her way over here" Daphne says right after.  
I narrow my eyes, "Why?" I ask now walking back in the living room, Draco going with me.  
Everyone else seemed to turn around and file back in as well.  
I saw my sister's eyes down, in the direction of my hand in Draco's; then they were back up on mine.

"I'm waiting" I tell her.

"I don't exactly know why but she wasn't very pleased when she got home. We went with her to make sure she was okay, I've never seen her so angry. She said she was coming to see you and then before I could even say anything, she apparated out" Daphne tells me.  
"Hmm this should be interesting" I say thinking of how this would go.

Daphne crossed her arms sighing, "I don't need another trip to the ministry today. I certainly don't want to see Mother in Azkaban and I don't want you in there either. I'm here to make sure of that." Theo placed his arm around her; she seemed to relax at his touch, breathing in and out hard. "Wow…that was almost impressive. Well…when is she coming, I'm not standing here and wait…"  
I was cut off by the front door in the parlor opening and slamming shut.  
"Astoria" I hear loud and clear.

I smile, "Ah, she's here."

I squeezed Draco's hand and looked at him, "I'll be right back."  
He brings my hand up and kisses it softly, nodding at me.  
I give him a small smile, I turned and took off towards the parlor.

"Tori" Daphne says stepping closer to me, I turned and looked at her.  
"She doesn't know I came, okay please whatever happens, I don't want a repeat of this morning" she tells me.  
"Don't worry Daphne, I'm not going to send mother to Azkaban, I blew my chance earlier because you begged me not too. Now I suggest you stay quit, you wouldn't want Mommy Dearest to know you came behind her back now would you" I state, looking at her tensely.  
She swallowed hard, stepping back to Theo once more.

I turn then and leave the room, pretty sure that everyone else walked as close to the entry way as possible to hear the conversation.

This should be interesting…..


	34. Hello Mother

"Hello Mother" I say looking at her, crossing my arms.  
She looked angry, pissed off, tired, miserable.  
Yeah it took all I could not to smile.

"Why did you do this?" she asked me.  
I raise a brow to her, "Excuse me?"  
"Why did you do this to me Astoria? I know you hate me but I would've NEVER imagined that you would stoop to something so low! To have me thrown in Azkaban" she says, now looking even angrier.  
I snorted, "Me? You think that you being hauled away from our family manor in shackles and being held at the Ministry only to possibly be taken to Azkaban, that that was all my doing" I say pointing to my chest.  
I laughed slightly, "Thanks…I mean I'm good but I'm not that good, clearly someone else hates you just a little bit more than me. We can draw names if you like" I tell her.

She looked even more furious.

"THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER ASTORIA, why is everything a joke to you" she says stepping closer to me.  
I take a step closer to her, "Because YOU ARE a JOKE Mother. You have always been a joke to me, and that will never change. I would LOVE to watch them drag you off to Azkaban and throw away the key; but you're in luck. Daphne just so happens to love you OH so much! She begged me not go in there and have them take you away. From the look in your eyes as well as hers; you know damn well I could've. The look in your eyes when he told you I cleared up everything he needed to know; priceless" I say, our eyes locked in fury.

I watched her breathe in heavy, her face tense.

"I could have wiped the floor with you, but I didn't. I got your ass off the line because of the mess that YOU got yourself into, NOT me! Might I give you some advice, maybe…just maybe you might actually listen to me for a change! Get some new friends, their either stealing from you or getting you involved in shit you don't want to mess around with. Or maybe you've gone completely mental and lost your fucking mind! You tell me" I yell at her, us both glaring at one another.

The room, the house felt completely dormant; a deadly silence.

Her face calmed after a good minute, "I have no idea what you're talking about."  
I scoffed, "Oh please, you know I don't care what the hell you do mother, I really don't. Don't drag our family name, father's reputation, or Daph & I down with you. I'm a lot stronger than Daphne when it comes to let downs; I'm sure she can only take so much. Now if you will excuse me" I tell her before turning and heading upstairs.

"What did you mean, what do my friends have to do with anything…stealing! What in the hell does that have to do with anything!" she asked quickly. I breathe in hard, I turn to face her.  
She looked absolutely clueless; did she really have no idea what I was talking about?  
"Are you telling me that you have no idea why they came and arrested you?" I ask her now going back down the stairs, my arms crossed.  
"They told me I was being questioned for a crime on the ministry; that I was being arrested which is just ridiculous" she says getting angry and loud once more.  
"I'm sure Daphne told you everything they asked her" I told her.  
My mother sighs, "Your sister was distraught, in tears thinking I was going to be taken away to Azkaban. All they asked her was about our manor and if she knew the Robertson's."  
I laughed slightly, "I guess he did get more out of me than her."

"Get what out of you. If you are going to deny that you had ANY thing to do with this, than at least tell me what you told him in that interview room, I have a right to know…"

My laugh cut her off, I shook my head at her. "You're just mad because all your high ranked friends are going to hear about this; you want something to cover your ass with. Spare me your dramatic plea for juicy details. I could care less if you blamed this on me; then again that would be stealing someone else's glory" I say.  
She scoffs, "You are impossible Astoria" she says now turning away from me.  
"And YOU are being impolite by interrupting me, etiquette rule number three remember" I state, raising a brow to her.  
She turns and glares at me, "Don't you use my own rules and value's against me Astoria. That is not acceptable."

I glare back at her, "And you can remove your ass from this house because your rules tend to piss me off. Now are you willing to shut up long enough so I can tell you why you almost won a round trip to Azkaban" I say, us both still glaring.  
Her posture straightened and her head went high.  
"Thank you" I state firmly, breathing in and out hard.  
"Steven Robertson was arrested this morning for entering into the Ministry armed with a deadly weapon which was to be used to kill the Minister of Magic" I state firmly, her face going in shock.  
The whole house was frozen.  
"Veronica's husband" my mother stated, more to herself.  
"That would be the one, see what I mean about friends; find some new ones. Anyways it was a parchment; an old and crusted looking one" I say. "He showed it to you" my mother says looking slightly baffled.  
"Well I really could've told him if I'd ever saw it or not without him doing so, so yes he showed it to me" I state obviously.  
She looked agitated now, "And why didn't he show this parchment to Daphne."  
I roll my eyes, "Gee mother I don't know. You want to go back and ask him?" She rolls her eyes now.

"Anyways…apparently your lovely friend's husband stated a few names clarifying where he received the cursed parchment; your name being one" I tell her.  
"Me!" my mother shrieked, she was appalled, baffled.  
"Yup" I say, breathing in and sighing slightly.  
"And just how in the world did you manage to get me off the hook" she says looking angry now.

"My in devious charm and so much more; I know our library as well as father's office like the back of my hand. All the files are in the office are categorized; which just so happen to behind a door you bound when father passed away. There is no way anyone can get in that room; believe me I've tried. Therefore the parchment couldn't have come from the manor. I did however tell him how much we hated each other so he tended to believe me when I actually told him I didn't think you had anything to do with it, despite the disappointment" I tell her.

She rolls her eyes, "Well I'm glad you're so perfectly eased with telling people your hatred for me."  
I smile, "It's no trouble really." She growls and starts pacing slightly.  
"I can't believe this…the gossip this will spread…parties and dinner's will be an utter nightmare for our name" she starts ranting.

I sigh, "Don't you mean your name. I can't possibly understand how somebody can walk around their entire life with their head shoved up there ass; you've clearly proved me wrong. Father kept you a little level headed; he was the conscious that you clearly don't have. And now….I just….I don't understand you, at all! I never have and even with all of this, you still baffle me. You're more worried about what other people are going to think of you, the rumors and gossip" I tell her.

"And what might you ask of me Astoria…What should I do, since you obviously know the answers" she asks me, yelling slightly.

"Grow Up, that's what I want you to do. Think about yourself for a change, and your family instead of your pureblood rank. You obviously don't care about me, which I'm perfectly fine with. I'm a big girl and I have people that care about me and love me; dad will always be there for me, gone or not. It's Daphne; she is the one I worry about. You don't see the damage you're doing, you never have and you don't care. THANK GOD she has Theo, I appreciate him more than anybody realizes. I'm waiting for the day when she sees your true colors, because you've never cared about her or any of us. It's always been about money, rank, and pureblood society with you. Well guess what, that's what got your ass locked up this morning and your main worries still surround all that. You better hope they don't trace that parchment back to you or the manor, or that somehow Stephen can prove he got it from there or better yet yourself" I say.

'I never gave a piece of parchment, a cursed one at that to the Robertson's; I only socialize with Veronica, you know that Astoria" my mother spits at me.

"I guess that brings me back to what I told you before. Apparently you're so called 'upper class friends' are screwing you over and they don't mind stabbing you in the back. So I suggest you figure out where your loyalties lie because I'm not always going to be there to save your ass" I tell her.

We continue glaring for a few good seconds before she turns and heads to the door, clearly angry; I could care less.  
She touches the knob, opening the door quickly before turning and looking at me.  
"I don't need anyone to save me Astoria, I did nothing wrong. Veronica will hear from me about this, I can promise you that. I will have you know that I loved your father, very much. And I love Daphne, I would never do anything to hurt her; I only want what's best for her, I wanted that for you as well. Astoria I carried you for nine months and gave birth to you for crying out loud, yet you sit here and talk to me like….like a dog" she tells me.

I nod at her, "I see so a lifetime of servitude and loyalties is my debt for you having to go through giving birth to another child."

"You never behaved, you never listened. You were always doing the opposite off everything I told you. Running around in the rain, getting your dresses dirty, you would never listen to anyone but your father. Daphne listened, she obeyed; she was proper and graceful, she held up our name to its fine standards, she still does. I raised her to be a proper lady!"

I cut her off, "Will you listen to yourself! 'Daphne listens, she obeys'" I say, mocking her.  
"You have done nothing but treat HER like a dog, a puppet; like she's some kind of robot that you can control. That's what it's all about…right? Control? I'm sorry but I refuse to be told what to do, what to wear, how to talk or sit or stand or eat or simply breathe. It's in that fact why you hate me so much; you're not in control & you hate that. I'm shameless and useless to you because I won't bow to your every wish. I listened to father because he listened to me; he loved me for who I was, he didn't try to change me into something I'm not. It's killed you, even now to see me succeed, in anything; my grades, gymnastics, and of course my music. If you could give all of those to Daphne; I would not be surprised if you disowned a very long time ago.  
You can stand there and try to defend yourself as much as you want, it doesn't change anything; if you want the truth, I'll give it to you. The mother I always wanted and thought I had, died a long time ago; the only real parent I've ever known, died too. So spare me yourself pity because I don't want it; don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out" I state now turning around and going back upstairs.  
The room was silent except for my footsteps; they echoed loudly.

"When did you start hating me so much?" she asked me in a soft but stern tone. I stopped; my eyes facing down, looking at the stairs.  
My insides were boiling; I was angry and pissed; all I want is for her to just go away.  
I turn slowly, my hand on the railing; I look at her.  
"You started hating me when I was so young; I don't remember the last time I even thought of you as my mother. I guess in all honesty, since the day I was born" I tell her.

I showed no expression; I kept my face hard and stern, I simply starred at her.

She breathed in hard, our eyes locked for merely seconds; she turned and slammed the door behind her.  
The house was frozen still; I closed my eyes and swallowed hard.  
My stomach was a fierce knot, I felt like I could break everything and anything around me.  
I plopped down on the step I was standing on; I held my face in my hands.

I kept my eyes closed as my mind absorbed it all; as much as I didn't want to cry, I could feel the tears coming.

I HATE crying, not because it seemed weak, but because I was shedding them over…her.  
I swore many times over that I would not cry over my mother; she didn't deserve anything from me, especially my tears.  
Apart of me new I was crying because I was so angry; but I also knew that a part of me was hurting at the truth.  
As much as I try to ignore it or fight it, it's always going to hurt.

My mother hates me; nothing will ever change that.


	35. Sorry guys!

Hey Everyone! I promise to update soon, I've been on a roll with my other stories that I've gotten side tracked.  
Let me know what you all think of the story so far, what would you like to see happen with Draco & Astoria?  
I love drama, so message me & let me know :). REVIEW!

Emily


	36. Just the way you are

Small footsteps echoed in the silence, after a few seconds they stopped.  
I breathed in hard, looking up to see my sister standing there at the bottom of the stairs.  
"I'm surprised you stayed" I tell her. I noticed the wetness on her cheeks; they were glossy, she had been crying.  
If it's the one thing I knew I couldn't let my sister see, was my own tears; I held them back fierce.  
My face grew tense as I watched her nose scrunch, her eyes filling with water as they streamed down her face; her lips trembled.  
I pulled my eyes away from her, looking at the wood.

_'I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry'_ I kept saying in my head over and over.

I slightly broke as she climbed the stairs; I swallowed the knot in my throat as she sat down beside me.  
"I'm so sorry" she tells me.  
I laugh, "Why you did nothing wrong."  
She turns towards me, "I feel like some of it's my fault. I've never heard the both of you talk so openly like that; not when I was present anyways" she says. I look at her, taking in her tears once more.  
"Mother will always be like this Daph, nothing is going to change that. It's not your fault, it's not dad's fault. I use to blame myself…"  
I felt her tense beside me, her eyes widened slightly.  
"I don't anymore, I've accepted it and I deal with it. She hates me….yeah well not even close to how much I hate her" I tell her.  
I was simply starring at the front door now, avoiding her eyes which I knew were pierced to my face.  
"You were crying, when I came in the room" she tells me.  
It was my turn to tense up now, my eyes widened but they remained on the door.  
"I can't imagine…what it feels like. It hurt me to hear her talk to you like that, I can only guess it feels worse for you" Daph says.

She would think that, hearing me cry; Daphne has only seen me cry once in my life.  
If I had to shed tears over any person, It would be my father; yet sitting here knowing I was fighting back one's for my mother.  
My eyes pierced with angry tears, my blood boiling at just thinking about it once more.

"She doesn't deserve my tears, I hate crying!" I say shaking my head, swallowing hard as more tears came to the surface.  
A sting rose in my nose; my eyes drowned once more; I swallowed hard and breathed in heavy.  
I looked over at her; her eyes welled up with tears as she saw mine.  
"Do you get it now?" I ask her softly, large tears rolled down my cheeks.  
"I hate her…so much" I whisper hard, more tears rolled down my face.  
Daphne nods, taking my hand and squeezing it as more tears drenched her face.  
"I hate her more than anything. I meant every word I told her; she can't control me and for that, she wants nothing to do with me. I refuse to roll over and play dead just to please her. I won't do it, I'm not going to do it" I tell her.  
Daphne pulls herself over, wrapping me in a hug; I let my head rest on her shoulder.  
"I don't want you to do that, I just want you to be happy" she tells me, clearly still crying.  
"Away from her…I'm happy" I tell her, she laughs softly.  
She pulls away from me, I look at her.  
"I guess my wedding is going to be a challenge" she says.  
I laugh, smiling very small, "I've put up with her for you in the past. Just because we had this argument won't change my mind about your wedding. I'll with be there, whether Mother likes it or not."  
Daphne smiles and pulls me in for a breathtaking hug, "Thank you. You truly are stronger than me. I don't know what I would do If I was in your shoes." I laugh, no humor intended.  
"Well I hope you never do. Keep mother on your good side, until she dies. At least it'll be peaceful for one of us" I tell her.  
She looked like she could break into tears again; she but on a brave strong smile and nodded at me.

Our attention was directed to footsteps coming into the parlor; there was everybody, all their faces soft and stern.  
"So how did you like the show?" I ask.  
"I'm sorry about your mother" Kat tells me.  
"I can't believe she blamed you for what happened" Jade says, sounding pissed.  
I laugh, "Yeah that's a new low for her. Never the less, I'll be glad to take the credit."  
Nobody laughed, I didn't blame them.

"I can't believe somebody tried killing the Minister of Magic" Derrick says sounding oddly surprised; dazed.  
We lingered on that thought for a short second.  
"You're positive you've never seen the parchment before?" Daphne asked me.

I nodded, "I didn't get a good look of what was written on it, it was old and worn looking around the edges. It doesn't even look like father's handwriting; plus you know just as I do that his office is bound shut. He could never get in there and mother would never go back in that room; so I told Mr. Williamson that I didn't see Mother having a part in it."  
The room was silent once more.

Jade looked like she was going to blow up, her face tense and shaking; her arms were folded across her chest.  
"Are you okay?" Ashley asks me, walking up and sitting by my feet.  
I put on a smile, the best one I could anyways, "Well I've pissed my mother off; she probably won't talk to me until Daphne's wedding, maybe not even then and that's like…" I turn and look at her.  
"The wedding is still two weeks away, October 20th" she states, smiling and looking at Theo.

"Two weeks, so yeah….drink's all around" I tell Ash.  
She laughs, along with Derrick and Kat.  
I breathe in and out heavy, "No, I'm fine. It's not the first fight with my mother and it definitely won't be the last."  
My eyes travel up and lock with another pair, Draco's; he'd been staring at me the entire time.  
He looked in thought; worried, yet slightly pissed which made me nervous.  
I'm guessing they noticed our stare; Ashley was up on her feet quickly.  
"Well who's hungry because I'm starving" she says going down the stairs and pushing Derrick, Kat following him with a smile on her face.  
Blaise, Miles, Lorraine, Carl, Adrian, and Jade all moved too, slight grins or confused expressions on their faces.  
I held in a laugh, Ashley would explain when they got in the other room.  
Daphne got the memo too I guess; she hugged me quickly.  
"You and Draco hmm" she whispers in my ear.  
I smiled, trying to keep the blush that was creeping on my cheeks in check.  
"I'll talk to you later Tor" she says now standing up.  
I nod at her, smiling as Theo steps up and bends over, giving me a hug goodbye.  
"I'm sorry about your mother" he tells me in my ear.  
"Not a problem" I tell him as he pulls back.  
Daph took his hand after he clapped hands with Draco; they said their final goodbye before they apparated out.

I breathed in and out softly, my eyes looking to the ground.  
"Well that was interesting" I say softly, biting my lip slightly.  
Draco climbed the stairs and took a seat next to me; he leaned back on the next step, his leg propped up.  
I turned to face him, pulling my eyes to his; I leaned to the side slightly.  
"Still think you can handle me?" I ask.  
He grins small, "Definitely, your mother…I'm going to have to put forth some effort."  
I laugh softly, "Yeah she's something."  
I bit my bottom slightly, shaking my head; I laugh once more.

"Can we just rewind time, go back to yesterday? That would be great."  
He smirks now, I couldn't help but smile.  
"Hmm…what part of yesterday would you prefer" he asks, his hand coming up cupping my face.  
I stare at him for a moment before smiling small. I bring my hand up, running my fingers down his cheek; my hand rested around his neck.  
"I think my lips are cold" I say watching him grin, laughing softly.  
"I see, they're definitely blue" he tells me, I laugh.  
His thumb brushed my face, "I can fix that" he says in a slight whisper.  
I raise a brow, "Really?" I ask, a small smile on my lips.  
"Really" he says grinning at me. His hand tightened as he pulled my lips to his.  
The tension, anger, and aggression I felt inside melted in seconds; I felt completely relieved.  
I sighed contently as our lips moved together; our bodies sat up straighter as we became fierce.  
The smell off his cologne to his sweet taste, he was intoxicating.  
We pulled away, breathing hard as our chest rose up and down; our foreheads rested on one another.  
I pressed my lips together, laughing softly, "Toasty warm" I say.  
He laughs, smiling, "Good."

He kisses me softly a few more times before we both smile and pull back.  
"You sure you're okay…"  
I smile, "Yeah I'm fine" I say nodding at him.  
A grin forms on his lips as he takes my hand, "Are you hungry?" he asks.  
I breathe in and out hard through my nose, "No, but I should probably eat something anyways" I tell him.  
He grins; "Good" he says standing up, pulling me with him. "I'm starving and there is no way I'm going in there alone" he says.  
I smile, laughing, "Why?" I ask him.  
He smiles very genuine which drew me in once more; his eyes looked so warm and open.  
His fingers raised, lingering on my cheek, "let's just say I got hit with a never ending line of questions when you went to the ministry. Our date, our kiss…you threw me to sharks practically."  
I laugh once more, "I'm sorry, I didn't even think about that."  
He smirks, "Your forgiven, I didn't mind giving them answers."  
I smiled, "Answers?" I ask my brows narrowed.

His smirk went wider, his eyes taking in my face, "I don't know if I made myself clear in the park, or any time after that. I am very…" He moves slightly closer, my hand resting on his side, "very intrigued by you Miss Greengrass. If it counts for anything, I want you; all of you, just the way you are" he tells me.

I stared at him, his fingers caressing my jaw line. I smiled after a few seconds, laughing softly to myself; that hit me harder than I thought it would, my eyes glossed over with tears. Draco saw this, his face went incredibly soft. His fingers extended until his hand was once again cupping my face. "Thank you" I whisper, a tear rolling down my face; his thumb catching it.  
"That means a lot considering what just happened, with everything you heard" I tell him.  
His finger brushed my face once more as a soft smile lingered on his lips.  
I raise my hand up, wrapping it around his neck; my fingers lying in his hair.  
I lean up and kiss him very softly; his arm goes around me, holding me there.  
We kissed a few times before breaking apart; our eyes locked once more.  
I grinned, "I'm all yours."

The signature Malfoy smirk appears on his face; he kissed me triumphantly once more.  
His arms locked around me as he lifted me off the ground; I laughed against his lips, a grin on his.  
We smile at each other and turn, heading down the stairs hand in hand.  
"Did that make your day" he asks me.  
I laugh, "Definitely." He grinned, pulling my hand to his lips as he kissed it softly.  
We made our way out of the parlor and through the living room, both of us standing by the dining room door.  
We stood there for a moment, listening to all of them talking and laughing.  
Draco looked over at me, "Ready?" he asked me.  
I turn and look at him; I smile, "Absolutely."  
He smiles and leans over, kissing my forehead; I pressed slightly, my eyes closing for a brief moment.  
Our eyes locked for a short second before Draco pushed open the door, I breathed in heavy as he towed me along with him.


End file.
